Plans Change
by ILikeMovies
Summary: Steve was excited. An afternoon with Grace whilst Danny dealt with Rachel sounded great. But, what happens when their afternoon plans take a turn for the worst when they run into a situation where they are most definitely unwanted? Can Steve keep his promise of keeping Grace safe and unharmed? Major Steve whumpage.
1. Chapter 1

**_Plans Change_**

"Danny, go and do what needs to be done. I can look after Grace for an afternoon." Steve said as he rolled his eyes in frustration.

He had been trying to convince Danny to let him look after Grace for a whole hour but his attempts had been useless as Danny stood his ground. It wasn't that Danny didn't trust Steve with Grace, because he did, but he felt that with the multiple cases going on at the moment in Five-0, it would be dangerous for Grace to be alone with Steve. Steve had put so many people in prison and many of them had been released in recent weeks. And, if past cases were anything to go by, the drug dealers, murderers and rapists who had been released would undoubtedly be looking to exact revenge on Steve.

"Steve, no. I don't think that's a good idea." Danny said, shaking his head as he plonked down in the seat by his desk.

"Listen to me. You need to go meet Rachel, so go. I would do anything to keep Grace safe, you know that." Steve said as he picked up a pen on Danny's desk and threw it in the air, catching it skilfully in one hand.

Steve was right and Danny knew it. Steve would risk his life in order to keep Grace unharmed and Danny definitely could not argue that point. He was probably just being paranoid.

"Okay, okay. Yeah, shut up. Be careful, I don't want any broken arms." Danny sighed, smiling slightly when he saw Steve's face light up in joy. "Go pick Gracie up. You're late."

"Yeah, yeah. So, I'll see you tonight. You and Gracie can have dinner at my place." Steve said, throwing the pen in Danny's lap and leaving the office quickly.

Danny ran a hand over his face and leaned back in his seat worriedly. Steve was like a child himself, so how he planned on being the responsible one around another child was beyond Danny, but he knew there was probably nothing to worry about. There was a soft knocking at his door and Danny sat up warily as Kono walked into the room with a file in her hand.

"What's rocking your boat, Danny?" She asked playfully as she placed the file on the desk for Danny to review and approve of.

"I just let the most immature grown up I know look after my daughter for the afternoon." Danny said, crossing his legs.

Kono laughed and put her skinny hands in her jean pockets.

"I'm sure Grace will be okay. She won't die or anything... I think." Kono teased Danny and he shot her a playful look before she giggled and left the room.

* * *

"What do you want to do today, Gracie?" Steve asked as he drove into the stream of traffic.

"Uh, what are our options?" Grace asked, jumping up and down excitedly. She couldn't believe her luck, spending the entire afternoon with her cool Uncle Steve.

"Movies, amusement park, beach... mini golf." Steve suggested, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Why don't we go on a hike or something?" Grace suggested, a smile on her face.

That's why Gracie and Steve got along so well. she was always willing and ready for a new adventure and Steve liked that he could actually _do stuff_ with her that didn't include checking for proper safety precautions every five minutes, like Danny did.

"Yeah, sounds great." Steve agreed, turning up the radio.

"I like this song." Grace said as she bopped her head to the happy-go-lucky tune of the song Steve had never heard before.

"What is this?" Steve asked, taking a left to get to his house to fetch supplies needed for a hike.

"It's One Direction!" Gracie exclaimed excitedly. She loved One Direction.

Steve listened for a second longer and realised he had heard the song before and, although he didn't know the lyrics, he recognised the tune.

_"The story in my life,_

_I take her clothes,_

_I drive all night,_

_And honk my horn." _Steve sang along before getting punched in the arm.

He rubbed it, mocking pain and shock before playfully pushing Grace with one arm.

"You're getting all the words wrong!" Grace said, sticking her tongue out at Steve and humming along to the tune of the song on the radio.

"Harry's my favourite." Grace stated suddenly and Steve had to suppress a giggle at the rate at which her train of thought changed its course.

"Mine too." Steve agreed.

"You don't even know who Harry is." Grace giggled.

"I do. The red head." Steve said.

Grace narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing as they continued driving down the road. once they reached his house, Steve ran inside and fetched water bottles, sunblock and insect repellent. If Grace returned to Danny with an insect bite on her ankle, Steve would never hear the end of it. He grabbed a pocket knife, in case it came to use eventually, and he put it in the pocket of his beige cargo pants.

"Let's go." Steve said as he climbed back into the car. "Put on some sunblock, if you get burnt, your father would kill me."

Grace did as she was told and participated in careless banter as they drove towards the forestry closest to Steve's house. He had gone for hikes multiple times in that forest and he knew the track like the back of his hand. As Grace told him about a boy at her school who ate glue then threw up on the teacher's toes, Steve found himself getting excited about the afternoon.

_And what an afternoon it would turn out to be._

* * *

Deep in the forest, Robert and his five brothers dragged the struggling girl deeper into the forest. This was Robert's second killing and he was excited to say the least.

"How much further, Rob?" His youngest brother, Clint, asked.

"Until we reach the gravesite John dug for us yesterday." Robert replied.

Whilst John was digging a grave, he and Mark were preparing to kidnap their next victim. They had taken her without trouble and John had gone unnoticed.

"Who gets to shoot her?" Gary asked.

"Me." Robert replied with a simple wave of the hand that told them to follow him as he turned right, following the trail that led to the grave sight.

"But, you did the last one. I thought you said I could do this one." Gary whined breathlessly, struggling to maintain his grip on the thrashing twenty year old woman in his arms.

"In due time, brother. In due time." Roberts replied, smiling and his fingers twitched as he held the silver gun in his right hand tightly.

* * *

_Hi guys, so this is my second Hawaii Five-0 fanfiction. I'm pretty excited about this one as I have a lot of ideas for where this story could go._

_This first chapter is mainly just to introduce everyone to the story, set the scene. The next chapter will, more than likely, also be setting the scene, but I promise you that much whumpage is to come for Steve in this story._

_Thanks to those of you kind enough to read this story._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi guys._

_Thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed. It means a lot!_

* * *

"Gracie, just a little bit further then we can take a rest and have something to drink. Okay?" Steve said as he climbed further up the hill, the humidity of the jungle making him feel hot and sweaty but, he liked it.

"Okay, Uncle Steve." Grace sighed.

She was struggling slightly with the heat and humidity but she wasn't complaining. She knew if she got too tired or hot and bothered, Steve would turn back around and head home for her.

"Are we the only people on this trail?" Grace asked Steve, looking around but finding no signs of other people.

"For a while, yes." Steve replied with a small smile.

He liked the isolation of the trail, it gave him time to think things through in peace and without being disturbed. Sometimes he would run past another hiker and they would greet each other but, the majority of the time, Steve could go for hours without seeing someone else. That's why he liked to call the trail 'his' trail, because no one else ever went on it.

"We can rest here. Are you thirsty?" Steve asked as they sat on a large rock on the top of the hill. Trees and shrubbery surrounded them and there were no sounds of civilization. Just the way Steve liked it.

"A little." Gracie replied, gratefully taking the bottle of water Steve held out to her.

"I'll be right back." Steve said, tapping Grace's shoulder reassuringly as he went a bit closer to the edge of the clearing so as to have a better view of the rest of the trail.

"Are you ready to get going?" Steve asked Grace once she had put on some more sunblock and had another swig of water. She nodded her head and stood up enthusiastically as she threw the water bottle back at Steve so he could put it in his backpack.

They continued walking down the small trail, making their way down the hill and through the slightly dense greenery.

"You smell that, Gracie?" Steve asked, taking in a big breath of the fresh outdoor air.

"Yeah, it stinks." Grace teased him, pulling a face.

"Your dad got to you, didn't he?" Steve teased, joking about Danny's compulsive need to be around civilization and to be clean at all times. Danny was not an outdoor person.

"What's that, Uncle Steve?" Grace asked as she pointed to an area further out.

Between the trees Steve could see a group of about five men holding something off the ground. The men dropped the thing on the ground and moved a bit further away as one picked up a spade and held it beside him. It was only then that Steve realised that the 'thing' was a person.

"Grace, stay here." Steve said, kneeling down beside the slightly scared girl and kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Be careful." Grace said, her voice soft.

"Always." Steve replied with a smile before he started quietly making his way through the shrubbery to the group of men. He was trying to be quiet, trying to go unnoticed in case he was interrupting a funeral or ceremony of sorts. But, as he got closer, Steve realised that he would have to get noticed eventually, especially if he wanted to save the woman's life. He could now see that there were five men, all above six foot and all brunette and dark skinned - brothers. The person on the ground was a woman, wearing a torn pair of jeans and a dirty shirt. A bag covered her head. She was struggling to get away but two of the men were holding her down by her shoulders and she couldn't move.

"Go ahead, Rob." The one brother said, smiling excitedly. He was the one holding the spade. "I got a date tonight, I don't want to be late."

Another brother nodded and smiled, raising his gun so it was pointed straight at the woman's head.

In that precise moment, more than a million thoughts raced through Steve's mind as he stood and watched the scene going o in front of him. He needed to save that woman but by doing so, he was definitely putting Grace in danger. He didn't have a gun to protect himself so he was going to have to fight them, and, undoubtedly, they would chase after him. The last thing he wanted was to put Grace in danger, if she got hurt, he would never forgive himself.

But, he couldn't just stand by and let that woman die. It was his duty as a law enforcement agent to protect the innocent and he was going to do just that. He would have to save her and keep Grace safe. Not easy, but not impossible either. He was only about an hour and a half walk away from the city so he wasn't deserted, he could get to help quickly.

"Hey!" Steve yelled as he ran into the small clearing the five brothers were standing in.

They all turned to look at him, shock evident on their features. Except the brother holding the gun, his face remained surprisingly emotionless. Unreadable.

"Who are you?" One of the brothers asked, confidently.

"Steve McGarrett." Steve replied, taking in his surroundings.

He could easily knock out the four brothers, the only problem was the gun in the one man's hand. Steve would have to disarm the man somehow and then make a run for it with the girl and Grace.

"Kill him." The man holding the gun ordered, and then one of the brothers pulled a second gun out of his pockets.

Steve didn't see that coming, but he could handle two guns... he hoped. The one man shot at Steve but missed and hit the tree behind Steve. Steve lunged forward and with one punch, knocked down the man who had shot at him. He was pushed to the ground by another man and he was punched in the stomach, hard. Steve gasped as the fist came into contact with the tender area again but, he managed to knee the man in the face, effectively knocking him out.

Another man tackled Steve and Steve gasped as he felt a crack in his chest where the man's shoulder had hit him. The man punched Steve in the face and Steve punched him in the face. The man kneed Steve in the ribs, making Steve see spots as the spot where he had heard a crack was jostled. But, Steve managed to elbow the man in the face, rendering him unconscious. One down, two unconscious, two to go.

Suddenly there was a loud bang, then Steve felt it. A stinging pain in his right shoulder. He had been shot. He was tackled to the ground again and he almost passed out as a finger was pressed to his shoulder wound, making him cry out in pain. He kneed the man in the stomach, causing the man to fall to his side and Steve got up on shaky legs and kicked him, hard. Once in the face and twice in the stomach, leaving the man writhing in agony on the floor.

One more man left to take down, and this man had a gun. Another loud bang and Steve felt a sting in his leg. He looked down and saw that the bullet had grazed his left thigh. Steve ignored the pain and tackled the man to the ground, the gun went flying into the dense shrubbery surrounding them. The man kicked Steve on his leg wound then punched Steve on the shoulder, making Steve nauseous with the pain. But, he was able to punch the man in the face hard enough to hear a loud crack and for blood to begin pouring relentlessly from his nostrils.

Steve elbowed the man in the nose again and was satisfied when the man let out an agonized cry. Steve stood up and ran to the woman lying on the ground, sobbing. He pulled the bag off the woman's head and helped her to her feet.

"Follow me." Steve said, once he noticed that none of the brothers were making any attempts to get up off the floor.

The lady nodded and followed Steve through the trees, towards Grace. Once they had reached the trail, Steve wanted to get home to radio in for help. He needed those idiots arrested so they couldn't roam the streets anymore. None of the men looked like they had been able to get up so he figured they would be there for a while.

"Uncle Steve!" Grace cried as he pushed through the shrubbery with the woman beside him. Grace ran up to him and hugged him tightly. He winced as the action pushed on his chest and pulled on his shoulder but he kept hugging her.

"You're hurt." Grace said, looking at his bleeding shoulder. At least the bullet had been a through-and-through.

"I'm fine." Steve said, standing to his full height and looking around to figure out the closest way to civilization.

Suddenly a gunshot was heard and the tree beside the woman splintered as a bullet hit it. The woman, who hadn't said a word, screamed loudly and Grace cowered behind Steve.

"Kill them. All of them." Steve heard one of the men say as a shower of bullets rained down on them.

"Follow me." Steve told the woman as he ran into the woods, holding Grace on his back and trying desperately to get away from the shooting men. But, getting away from them also meant abandoning the trail which also meant decreasing their chances of finding help and getting to civilization. Basically, they were stranded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys. Thanks for all the support. The favourite and follows and reviews mean the world to me. :)**

3

"Enough!" Robert screamed above the sound of gunshots in the air.

When the gunshots continued, Robert raised his voice even more as he screamed angrily,

"I said, enough!"

His voice was loud enough to barely be heard over the sound of gunshots but, to be heard nonetheless, and his brothers stopped using their multitude of weapons. They turned to look at him, each one slightly wobbly on their feet due to the severe beating they had just received.

Robert breathed heavily through his mouth as blood still poured from his nostrils.

"Firing at them blindly will do nothing but draw attention." Robert said, leaning against a tree and nodding for his brothers to get closer.

They scooted closer, Clint rubbing at the bruised part of his forehead where Mcgarrett had hit him. Mark was clutching his stomach in pain, his breathing shallow and uneven. John was clinching the bridge of his nose in his fingers, willing the headache to go away and Gary was rubbing at a part on his left shoulder where he had fallen to the ground.

"But, they'll get away and we can't have that. The girl and the man know our faces. They could identify us." Gary argued, his deep voice booming.

"Speak softer, dick." John whined, Gary's voice aggravating his headache.

"Shut up, you baby." Gary sighed, rolling his eyes at his drama queen of a brother.

"I'm aware of that, but we don't need to worry about that." Robert said, effectively cutting off the argument going on between the two brothers.

"If we let them run, they will find someone or something to use to phone the police." Clint said, starting to lean against John as his world began spinning, clear signs of a concussion.

"Can you not invade my space!" John shouted, scrunching his blue eyes up as Gary's weight put pressure on his aching stomach.

"Listen to you. You are trained killers and you are shaming our family name by acting like this. Enough fighting or I swear to God I will kill every single one of you." Robert screamed, his face reddening in anger.

"You wouldn't, we're your brothers." John shook his head, standing to his full height once the pain in his abdomen had dulled.

At six-foot-three, he towered over the other four by an inch or two and he was by far the most physically superior but, he was also the most weak-minded. He was easily convinced and he didn't have that cold, emotionless characteristic that was needed to be a killer. However, his strength was put to good use when he had to carry the unconscious bodies of their next victims.

"You know I would, Johnny. Remember what I did to Sam?" Robert rebutted.

A silence settled as the brothers remembered their deceased sibling.

Sam had been the youngest of the brothers but, he had been too weak, too 'good' to participate in the family business and he had threatened to go to the police if Robert and his brother continued killing. So, Robert killed him. Gunshot wound to the forehead, immediate death. Burnt the body and spread the ashes in the ocean. No trace, no evidence, clean murder.

"Now, did none of you study the map?" Robert asked, his voice dark and angry.

"There's a cliff." Mark stated, his gaze traveling towards the direction Steve had gone.

"Indeed. Now, listen to me. Once they reach the cliff, they cannot jump." Robert said.

Over the past few minutes, the brothers had composed themselves, the previous pain plaguing their bodies long forgotten.

"Rocks line the bottom of the cliff. They jump, they die." Robert continued, smiling as he saw the evil glint in each of the brothers' eyes, except John's.

"They have nowhere to run. We chase them to the edge then kill them, dump all their bodies in the water." Gary said, smiling maliciously.

"Yes. Now, what did the man say his name was?" Robert asked, putting his gun back in his belt.

"Steve Mcgarrett." Clint replied.

"Steve Mcgarrett?" Robert replied, laughing suddenly as his face contorted into an expression of utter cunningness.

"Yeah." Mark replied with a confused shrug.

"Gentlemen, I hope you're aware that we are going to have the extreme pleasure of killing one of Hawaii's finest." Robert said.

He smiled as he remembered the numerous stories of the 'invincible' detective Steve Mcgarrett, and he had to suppress a laugh as he thought of the respect he would gain if he became known as the one to kill Mcgarrett.

"Who is he?" John asked, confused.

"Detective Steve Mcgarrett of Hawaii Five-0." Robert replied and suddenly a burst of recognition etched its way onto his brothers' faces.

"We won't be able to get him. You've heard the stories." Gary argued, his comment wiping the smirk off Robert's face.

"Have faith, brother. He's wounded and he won't get far in that state." Robert assured his brothers and an evil laughter echoed through the group of brothers as they stared off into the general direction Steve had gone.

* * *

"What do you mean, you're moving to London?" Danny asked, his voice raised and his hands clenched into fists.

"I mean, I'm moving." Rachel replied, her voice slightly filled with regret and sympathy but she appeared nonchalant.

"You can't do that! I moved to the stupid island so I could see Gracie. It's not fair of you to move my daughter without consulting me first. She's my daughter, too." Danny said.

"I am consulting you." Rachel rebutted.

Danny snorted and shook his head in absolute disbelief.

"This, is not a consultation. This is you telling me what's happening. Don't you dare try make yourself look like the good guy." Danny said, pointing at her angrily.

He checked the time again and sent another message to Steve when he saw it was six o'clock. Steve still hasn't replied to his messages. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

* * *

"Yo, cus, we have a new case." Chin said as he threw a file onto the table and sat down across from Kono.

"Okay, tell me about it." Kono said, picking up the file and flicking through it quickly.

"Sarah Jackson, twenty-one years old, attending Harvard University in America." Chin stated, playing mindlessly with an ornament on the table.

"What about her?" Kono asked.

"She was kidnapped yesterday." Chin replied.

Kono frowned in confusion and looked at the photo in the file of Sarah. Sarah had brown, curly hair and brown eyes on a dark skin. Her face was round and chubby, giving her the appearance of a seventeen year old. She looked back at Chin and she shrugged.

"Usually the police department deals with kidnapping cases." She said.

"Not when the kidnap victim is the daughter of one of the richest men in Hawaii." Chin said as he stood up and gestured for Kono to follow him.

"I called Steve and Danny but they haven't answered. But, we can interview the last person she was with in the meanwhile." Chin said, grabbing the car keys and walking out the doors of the headquarters.

"Oh yeah? And who's that?" Kono asked, gingerly climbing into the passenger seat.

"Her father." Chin said with a smug expression.

* * *

Steve ran until his legs felt like jelly and he could feel blood pouring down his arm and chest from the bullet wound. Even then, he kept running.

He ran until the girl beside him collapsed to her knees and shook her head, telling him she couldn't go anymore.

"I... I need to rest." She said breathlessly, her brown hair wet with sweat and her brown eyes squeezed shut as she tried to recollect her breath.

"Okay." Steve said, still holding onto Grace as she buried her head in his chest and clung to his shirt as though it was her only lifeline.

Now that they had been running for so long, Steve was starting to feel the full effects of his injuries. He was slightly dizzy and he felt weaker than usual.

Whilst running, Steve had cursed himself on multiple occasions as he thought back to how he dealt with the situation. He could have fetched one of their guns, then he would have been armed, but they had become lost in the foliage and he couldn't have afforded the time to search for one. He needed all the time he could get to get Grace as far away from the men as possible.

He should have identified himself as a detective but, he somehow doubted it would have deterred them from killing him anyway. The only thought that had consumed his mind throughout the ordeal was saving Grace and that had affected the way in which he dealt with the situation. But, it shouldn't have and that angered him.

As a SEAL, he was trained to ignore all outer influences and focus on the task at hand. But, he had done anything but that whilst dealing with the five men.

The firing had stopped and it was getting dark but, Steve was lost. He wasn't sure which way civilization was and he wasn't sure where the trail was anymore.

And, he had another woman to take care of. A woman he knew nothing about.

"Gracie, I'm going to put you down, okay." Steve said softly as he lowered both himself and Grace to the ground.

She sat beside him, her hands still clinging onto his shirt. He took off his backpack, wincing in pain as it pulled on his ribs and shoulder. He knew he had a first aid kit in his backpack and he hoped that it would be suitable enough for a temporary covering of his injuries.

His wince caught the attention of the woman beside him and she crawled over to him, looking into his blue eyes intensely.

"You're hurt." She stated, staring at his bleeding shoulder wound.

"I'm okay." Steve said, keeping his left arm around Grace's shoulder as she trembled beside him.

"No, you're not." She said, bravely lifting up his shirt, exposing his toned stomach and chest.

The left side of his chest was covered in bruising.

Steve gasped as the movement of his shirt jostled his shoulder and chest and he batted her hand away and lowered his shirt. Grace stopped trembling and Steve lifted his arm off her shoulders and got disinfectant and gauze out of the first aid kit.

"Who are you, anyway?" Steve asked the girl, his right arm trembling with the effort of using it, despite the pain, as he poured disinfectant onto cotton wool.

"Sarah Jackson." The girl replied, wiping sweat off her forehead.

"Jacob Jackson's daughter?" Steve asked, the name ringing a bell of recognition.

The girl nodded and bit her lip as she mumbled,

"Unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, pulling his arm out of the sleeve of his shirt, groaning in pain.

"Well, I would prefer to have a dad who doesn't send five people to kill his own child." Sarah replied, tears falling down her flushed cheeks.

"He sent those men to kill you?" Steve asked, shaking slightly as he dabbed the cotton wool over the entrance wound in his shoulder. The cotton wool immediately became drenched in blood but he didn't stop.

The adrenaline crash was coming fast and Steve was preparing himself for it.

"Yeah, and now they're going to kill you guys too." Sarah said between silent sobs as she rocked back and forth on her heels, her knees held tightly against her chest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys. Thanks a million to everyone out there who reviewed, favorited or followed. You guys are amazing. **

* * *

Kono and Chin walked up the a large wooden door that led into one of the biggest houses either of them had ever seen. It was painted white with huge windows, mostly covered by extravagant velvet curtains, and it was surrounded by a breathtakingly beautiful garden filled with yellow and pink roses amongst other flowers Chin and Kono could not identify.

Chin's knuckles rapped on the wooden door, preparing himself for another dreaded conversation with a grieving family member. He had done it multiple times before and it was always the same. Crying, begging, anger then more crying. Chin wasn't an emotional person and he found it hard to deal with grief stricken family members at times.

A slight man clad in a suit and black bowtie opened the door, greeting Chin and Kono with a deadpan expression. Kono was slightly taken aback by the rude greeting but she composed herself quickly and returned the man's deadpan glare.

"Mister Jackson?" Chin asked, peering over the small man's head into the large house.

"No, I'm his butler. Is he expecting you?" The man asked, his black hair falling out of place as his head bopped as he spoke.

"I'm detective Kelly and this is detective Kalakaua from Hawaii Five-0, and we are here to investigate the kidnapping of Mister Jackson's daughter, Sarah." Chin replied, he and Kono both flashing their badges as the butler moved to the side so as to make space for the two detectives to walk in.

"Take a seat. I'll inform Mister Jackson that you're here." The butler said, gesturing towards a red velvet couch at the edge of the room.

The marble flooring spread across the entire entrance room, coming to a stop as wooden flooring led into the other rooms. Large marble stairs led upstairs, a crystal chandelier hanging ornately over the stairs from the high ceiling. Large, ostentatious paintings adorned the white walls, being the main focal point in the otherwise empty room.

A few minutes later, a tall, slightly chubby man, walked into the room. He had curly brown hair and hazel eyes against a dark skin. His face was round but attractive, very similar to Sarah's. He walked over to Kono and Chin, his hand extended as he shook theirs.

"Please, follow me." Mister Jackson said, his voice gruff and low giving him an intimidating and confident air.

Chin and Kono followed him through the house until they reached what seemed to be a study. The flooring was an oak wood that matched the wood of the multiple bookshelves lining the walls. The desk was mahogany and the multiple papers and ornaments covering it were in neat piles and precise positions.

Mister Jackson took a seat in the large leather couch and gestured for Kono and Chin to sit in the two smaller leather chairs on the other side of the desk.

"I'm mister Jackson, are you here about my Sarah?" Jackson asked, staring at Chin with such intensity that it could have set the room on fire.

"Yes, sir. I'm detective Kelly and this is detective Kalakaua." Chin introduced them once again. He looked at the photographs hanging on the wall and noticed that there were photographs of Jackson with friends, with what looked to be his mother, with the governor, but none with his daughter. It was odd but, ultimately, irrelevant at the current moment in time.

"Yes, yes. Of Hawaii Five-0. Listen to me, you need to find my daughter." Jackson begged, his eyes filling with tears.

"We intend on finding her, sir, but we need you to relay the events that took place when your daughter was kidnapped." Kono said, her gaze confident and unwavering as she looked into Jackson's eyes. She thought it was odd when the tears dried from his eyes quickly but, she thought nothing of it at first.

"Yes, yes, of course. What would you like to know?" Jackson asked, sitting back in his seat and interlinking his fingers.

That move alarmed Kono and Chin at once. Usually, when a person was anxious, worried or sad, their body language indicated so but Jackson's indicated nonchalantness, carefreeness. In a situation as stressful and worrisome as a kidnapping, that was not usually the body language seen and the fact that Jackson was using it raised questions for both Kono and Chin.

"Sir, can you tell us exactly what happened when your daughter was taken?" Chin asked, ready to pull out his gun at the drop of a hat.

"Well, we were just walking, just talking and suddenly I wake up with a paramedic hovering over me and my Sarah is gone." Jackson said, tears once again welling in his hazel eyes but never falling.

"Can you identify any faces? Would you be able to?" Kono asked, eyeing Jackson carefully.

"No, all I know is that those five men have my daughter and I want her back." The man said just as the phone began ringing. He excused himself and left the room to take the call in the kitchen.

Once he was out of earshot, Kono leaned forward and whispered in Chin's ear,

"Something isn't right."

Chin nodded emphatically and leaned closer to Kono, glancing at the door to ensure no one was around to hear him talk. Once he was satisfied that they were alone, he whispered,

"I know. He's lying. Eye witnesses said he was knocked out immediately, before Sarah was even taken and before the other four men got out of the car."

Kono nodded, understanding immediately.

"So, if he was unconscious, how does he know that there were five men?" Kono said, looking at the photographs on the wall. "Like I said before, something isn't right."

Jackson walked back into the room and Chin and Kono wasted no time in standing up and walking over to him. Chin handcuffed him as he recited the Miranda rites to Jackson. Kono led the way out the house as Chin held onto a struggling Jackson.

"What the hell are you arresting me for when my daughter's kidnappers are out there?" Jackson yelled.

"Your story doesn't add up and, since you're a new suspect in the case, we have he rite to take you in for interrogation. If you have nothing to do with your daughter's kidnapping, then you have nothing to worry about." Kono shrugged, opening the back door of the car so Chin could shove Jackson into the backseat of the car.

* * *

"Uncle Steve, I'm really, really scared." Grace sobbed into Steve's left shoulder as he and Sarah trekked through the dense foliage in an attempt to find their way back to the trail whilst still avoiding the five men after them.

"I know, Gracie. I know. But, this will be over soon, okay? I promise I will get you out of this. Okay?" Steve whispered into her ear soothingly.

They had been in the forestry for almost three hours. Each time they neared the trail, they would hear the sound of the brothers talking, and Steve and Sarah would have to run from the trail as bullets hailed down on them. Steve had been holding Grace in his arms the entire time, managing to ignore the pain flaring from his right shoulder and the agony radiating from his chest.

With Sarah's help he had managed to bandage and clean the entry and exit wound on his shoulder as well as the graze on his leg. The wounds were still bleeding but, after having been cleaned and covered, there was less risk of an infection.

"I can't. I need to rest." Sarah said as she collapsed to the ground, her flushed cheeks covered in sweat.

Steve knelt beside her, gently placing Grace on the ground beside him. They were all tired but they couldn't afford to rest with a group of crazy gunmen on their tails.

"Sarah, listen to me. I need you to keep going, we can't rest. We need to keep going and I can't carry both you and Grace. Okay? We need to keep moving." Steve begged her, his left hand subconsciously grabbing at the source of throbbing on his right shoulder.

"I can't... I'm tired." Sarah said, her words slurring together as she closed her eyes. Her curly brown hair fell over her face, covering the tears that fell down her cheeks as the day's events finally dawned on her completely. They no longer seemed surreal, instead they had become a harsh reality that Sarah wasn't ready to accept.

_Her father had tried to kill her. _

"I know you are, but just keep pushing. Just a little bit longer, okay?" Steve said, trying desperately to convince Sarah to get back on her feet.

Steve was starting to feel slightly fatigued and weak, blood loss and pain taking their toll on his body. But, he had to ignore the pain and wooziness in order to get Grace back to safety. Sarah reused to move and she let her body relax as she felt herself welcoming sleep.

"Sarah, listen to me. Sit up. Now." Steve ordered, having lost his patience as he heard footsteps getting closer and voices becoming louder. "Right now." Steve pulled on Sarah's arms, listing her to a sitting position but she refused to hold herself up and she fell back to the floor limply.

"God damn it, Sarah! Sit the hell up right now. Either we get moving or we die. Your choice." Steve said angrily. Sarah's resignation was putting Grace in danger and that was something Steve was not going to accept. If he had to leave Sarah behind to save Grace, he would have to do it and deal with his conscience later.

Then, the voices got louder, loud enough to make out the words being spoken.

_"Hey, you go that way. We spread out and search for them."_

_"We need to finish this job or Jackson is going to kill us himself. Their lives or ours." _

_"So, we kill the kid and cop too?"_

_"Yeah, we have to or they can identify us, then we're fucked. And you heard Jackson, he needs his daughter dead or his career is out the water."_

The footsteps got closer, the voices louder and Steve was beginning to panic. He picked Grace up quickly, nudging Sarah again as her eyes widened in fear at hearing the voices. She finally decided to stand up and Steve felt relief wash over him.

As Steve stood up, a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over him and he had to lean on a tree in order to stay standing and keep a hold on Grace.

"Uncle Steve, I'm scared." Grace said again, hanging onto Steve for dear life.

"I know... Listen, Gracie, I need you to walk for a while." Steve said, suddenly feeling weak, too weak to hold Grace. Grace sucked in a sharp breath but nodded and stood on her own two feet. The voices were getting closer, and the footsteps sounded as though they were only a few feet away from Steve.

Sarah was waiting impatiently for Steve and Grace to start walking but, as they were about to begin moving, another person stumbled into their path. One of the brothers. The brother shone his flashlight on Sarah then on Grace and finally on Steve. He took a few steps closer, walking towards Steve. Steve glanced at his hand and noticed a gun. But, they we're trapped, the man was armed and there was no way they could run away without being shot. And, besides, Sarah and Grace were frozen from fright.

Then, the brother held the gun up and pointed it at Steve.

"Shit." Steve muttered under his breath.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hi guys. Thanks so much for the support I'm receiving on this story. It really is amazing. This chapter contains some foul language, just to warn you. **_

**_Thanks so much for reading. To those of you who review, follow or favorite, you are amazing. Really. Thank you so very much. _**

* * *

"Hey, Steve. It's Danny again. You aren't returning my phone calls or my text messages and, I got to say, it's slightly nerve wrecking considering I don't know where you or my daughter are. So... Call me. I'm not fucking around, Steve, I'm starting to worry." Danny left the umpteenth voice message on Steve's cell as another one of his calls went unanswered.

He had arrived at Steve's house at half past eight, starving, exhausted and furious with Rachel. More than anything, he was looking forward to an opportunity to vent to Steve about how unfair Rachel was being because, even though they gave each other gears, they were always willing to be there for each other, no matter what. Steve was Danny's go-to guy when it came to needing to talk. Steve wasn't exactly emotional, in fact he was far from it, but, he was warm and understanding and that's exactly was Danny wanted and needed.

He had knocked on Steve's door so many times that he had lost count until he eventually resigned to standing on a pot to reach the spare key Steve kept hidden above the door, out of sight from anyone shorter than eight feet. Steve had told Danny of its position in case a time came when Danny needed to get inside but Steve wasn't around. Once Danny had gone inside, he had searched the entire house, finding each room empty and undisturbed. The lights were off and the doors and windows were locked shut so Danny knew Steve and Grace weren't there.

He thought that maybe they had gone out for a movie or dinner but, this late at night, Danny knew Steve would have called him to inform him of their whereabouts. Danny remembered the feeling of impending doom he had earlier that day whilst talking, or more accurately, screaming at Rachel. Suddenly, a terrible thought came to mind and Danny had to control his breathing as multiple factors came together and made the thought seem more and more logical, more and more realistic, more and more probable.

He thought about the unexplainable and, at the time, totally unwarranted feeling of anxiety and impending doom from earlier on. He thought about the fact that Steve hadn't been returning his calls or texts, nor had Gracie. He thought about the fact that the house seemed untouched for the last few hours. He sprinted to the garage and found the car missing, much to his dismay. Something was wrong, and he knew it. Grace and Steve were in trouble, somewhere out there and maybe, just maybe, they were lying in a ditch somewhere... Motionless. Danny didn't want to think about it.

Then, he remembered. Grace had been nagging Danny to take her hiking for weeks but Danny had put it off continuously, not being much of an outdoorsy type. He knew Steve would have agreed to take Grace hiking at the drop of a hat and, he knew exactly where Steve would have taken her. There was a trail about half an hour's drive away that Steve loved so much. It was quiet and excluded, exactly Steve's cup of tea. Danny had gone there once before with Steve and he remembered how to get there.

Without hesitation, he got into his car and drove to the trail, breaking every speed limit and every rule of the road. He was going to get there in fifteen minutes at the rate he was going. That is, until he was put to a halt in a line a mile long of traffic. There had been a severe accident and, all hopes of driving to the trail were abandoned as Danny looked at the long line ahead of him. It was unmoving and had been unmoving for hours.

* * *

"Listen to me, I'm from Hawaii Five -0. I'm Commander Steve McGarrett. You don't want to do anything irrational right now. Okay? So put down the gun." Steve said, holding his hands up in the air to show he meant no harm.

The movement of holding his arm up sent daggers from his shoulder to his chest and down his arm, graying his vision and making him feel light headed. But, he ignored it as he slowly lowered his left arm and pulled Grace closer to him, holding his arm over her protectively. He glanced at Sarah and noticed she was frowning at the man holding the gun, almost as if she was confused by his actions.

"John?" A voice called from somewhere in the distance.

"John?" Sarah asked, taking a cautious step closer to the gunman, holding out her hand as if to touch him or grab his arm.

"Sarah? What are you doing?" Steve asked, frowning now, as he watched the gunman look at Sarah and smile ever so slightly. The gunman changed his position so he was standing facing Sarah but his gun remained unwavering.

"John." Sarah said again, this time taking a more comfortable and confident step closer, grabbing his arm in her small, chubby hand.

"Sarah, listen to me. I need you and Commander McGarrett to run as fast as you can. Okay?" John said, taking a step away from Sarah and a step closer to Steve. The gun remained steady and pointed at Steve.

Grace squealed and held onto Steve tighter, making him wince slightly as the pressure hurt his ribs. He rubbed her back soothingly as he stared at the barrel of the gun. He was still confused as to what was going on but he decided not to question it at that moment in time. His questions could come later on, when Grace was out of danger. John held the gun out further and nodded his head at Steve, gesturing for Steve to take the gun. Steve looked at it then glanced briefly at John's face before taking the gun cautiously.

"Now, listen here. The others are trying to force you to go towards the cliff on this side of the trail. They're pushing you closer to the cliff so you won't have anywhere to run. You need to push past my brothers, get away from the cliffs. With the gun, you will make it... I think." John said, never breaking eye contact with Sarah, who was staring at him with tears in her round eyes.

"John, thank you. Thank you." Sarah whispered, her voice soft and shaky as she tried to stop herself from crying.

"John? Where the fuck are you?" The same voice called out, closer this time.

"Run." John said, his voice confident, quiet, reassuring. Steve looked at the gun in his hand in disbelief, not fully understanding the situation at hand but deciding not to question it and to rather just take the small blessings as they came.

"John, if you come with us, I can give you a lighter punishment because you helped a law enforcement agent." Steve said, gently nudging Grace so she was no longer holding so tightly onto his body that he couldn't move.

"I can't go with you. Now, run. Before they get here." John said, ushering them away. Sarah stood on her toes and pecked John on the cheek as she whispered the sincerest 'thank you' she had ever uttered.

Steve knelt down on one knee, looked at Grace in the eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder. She was crying silently but, for the most part, she had been brave and Steve was proud of her. Each breath was becoming painful but, Steve pushed past the pain as he whispered so softly only Grace could hear him.

"Grace, I know you're scared right now but I promise you this will be over soon. Climb onto my back, okay? We're going to run now and I need you to be as quiet as possible, okay?" Steve whispered, smiling as she nodded and climbed onto his back. With a pained grunt, Steve rose to his feet, gun still in hand and determination set on his face.

"Run!" John whispered again.

"John? Hello, dude, where the fuck are you?" The voice yelled again, even closer.

"I'm here, I'm here. I'm still looking for them. No luck, yet." John lied as Sarah gave him one more grateful stare before turning on her heels and following Steve as he muttered a sincere thank you and began running, the new adrenaline in his body dulling his pains.

* * *

"John, dude. What the hell, man? Robert wanted us to meet like five minutes ago. He's going to be pissed." Clint said as he stumbled through the thick foliage just after Steve and Sarah had disappeared from sight.

"Clint,I needed to... You know." John shrugged, feigning embarrassment. He had said a silent prayer that Steve and Sarah and that little girl had gotten away without being noticed by one of his other brothers.

"Oh, shit! You needed to piss? Sorry, man, I hope I didn't interrupt or anything." Clint said with a laugh as he and John started heading towards the meeting point Robert had assigned. John shook his head, gulping nervously as he tried to slow down his hammering heart.

A few minutes later, they had reached the meeting point and were met by Mark and Gary, who were talking with each other about the last baseball game they had watched, and a very angry looking Robert. Clint sat down without a word and joined in the conversation going on between the two brothers. John nodded an apology as he sat down a meter or two away from his brothers.

Since childhood, John's father had introduced he and his brothers to the 'family business'. They has accompanied their father on innumerable 'jobs', witnessed over a hundred killings and, just recently, taken the lead on two since their father was killed by police when a lone assassination attempt went wrong. Almost immediately, Robert had shown an interest in the family business and, early on, had begged to assist more. Gary, Clint and Mark had quickly learnt to enjoy he business almost as much as Robert but, as their dad had said, Robert was a natural born leader... They weren't.

Johnny and John had never grown to enjoy or like the family business. In actuality, they neither enjoyed it nor partook in it unless their father had forced them to. John and Johnny, best friends until the day Robert had killed Johnny. They had planned on running away from the family business shortly after Johnny came up with the idea of going to the police but, they never made it and, now that Johnny was gone, John couldn't escape on his own. He had always sought guidance from Johnny and now his only support, his only friend was gone and he just didn't see the point in living anymore.

He hated himself and what he had done, he hated his family business and, more than anything he hated what his brothers were like. He couldn't find common ground with the brothers, no matter how hard he tried. He had done too much, experienced too much and he felt he didn't deserve to live anymore. So, when Robert held the gun up at pointed it between his eyes, John didn't even flinch.

As John was lost in his thoughts, Clint had gotten up and whispered something in Robert's ear. Robert had nodded and glanced at the spot on John's belt where his gun should have been but wasn't. That was reason enough to hold his brother at gunpoint.

"Where's your gun, John?" Robert asked, staring at John in the eyes. If looks could kill, John would be dead.

"I... I... Uh, I must have... Uh... It must have fallen... Fallen out." John stammered, feeling his heart rate increase to such an extent that it felt as though it might hammer right out of his chest.

"Bullshit. Where is it, huh? Clint here told me he heard you talking." Robert said, gesturing towards Clint who was watching the exchange between the two brothers intently.

John felt anger boil up inside of him. His own brother, his own flesh and blood had ratted him out and, to top it all off, made John think he hadn't seen anything. The backstabbing lying little piece of absolute shit. John refused to break eye contact with Robert but acknowledged his statement with a confident nod of the head. He was prepared to lie to save himself from death but, he failed to find a reason to do so.

Johnny was dead and he was forced to live a life killing other people, selling his own soul. His life was no life at all so what was the point of living. He had done a good deed, hopefully God would forgive him and take him to see Johnny in heaven. John knew Johnny was in heaven. He didn't know how but, he just knew. Besides, it's not like anyone would miss him if he died. So, John stood up and said,

"Yeah, I was speaking."

"To who?" Robert asked despite the fact that he knew full well what the answer was.

"Sarah and Commander McGarrett and the little girl. I gave them my gun. That's where my gun is." John said with a shrug and a smug smile. As he spoke the words, he knew he would die but, he also knew he had helped save someone's life.

"You turned your back on your own brothers and helped them escape? That's just embarrassing, John. You disgust me." Robert said as he released the safety on the gun.

"No, you disgust me. Always have, always will." John said as the sound of a bullet rang through the dense shrubbery.

Less than a second later, John's limp body hit the ground, blood pooling from a gunshot wound between his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys. So, on the way home from school I got stuck in traffic and I decided to write the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. It's not too action filled but it's going to lead up to the next chapter where the action will pick up, I promise. **

**Thank you to everyone who is being so kind as to review! Your reviews really are fantastic!**

* * *

It was getting harder and harder to run. Each step Steve took was a slow and agonizing process. Pain radiated from his shoulder to his chest and down his arm, giving him an almost numb feeling. Blood was dripping down his arm and off the tips of his fingers every few meters. He stumbled once or twice but was adamant that he was okay, he could keep going. Of course, Sarah was skeptical. She kept glancing sideways at Steve as she held Gracie's hand in hers, growing increasingly worried by his graying pallor. His breaths were coming in short, jerky gasps, his ribs protesting each movement he made.

"Who was he?" Steve asked after almost ten minutes of silence. They were finally finding their way back to the trail and that meant they were only a two or three hours from help. It didn't seem that long, but, with Steve's worsening condition, it felt like an eternity. But, Steve stayed strong, refused to show his weakness in front of Grace. He needed to protect her, make her feel as safe as possible.

"Who? John?" Sarah asked, her voice raspy, her throat was dry and sore after almost twenty-four hours of no water or food.

"Yes. He saved us, so he must be pretty important to you if he was willing to risk his life for yours." Steve said breathlessly as he glanced over his shoulder for the umpteenth time to ensure they weren't being followed. Once satisfied that they weren't, he turned back around and continued walking.

"I never knew him before now, if that's what you're asking." Sarah said defensively as she absentmindedly rubbed at her raw wrists, letting to of Grace's hand. Grace took the opportunity to walk over to Steve and grab hold of his right arm as it hung limply by his side whilst his other hand held the gun tightly.

"If he didn't know you, why did he save you?" Steve found himself questioning the extent of Sarah's trustworthiness. Trust no one, is the old cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason.

"I... I don't know. When... When the men took me, John was ordered to... To l-look after me. He untied me and took out the gag but he had to put it back when the others came back. He even told me he would help me if he could. I... I guess he did help after all." Sarah said, furiously wiping away the tears that fell down her red cheeks.

"He had no reason for doing that?" Steve asked, momentarily resting against a tree and breathing heavily as dizziness and fatigue threatened to overwhelm him. Sarah grasped the opportunity to take a break and she slowly lowered herself to the ground. Grace held tightly onto Steve's uninjured leg, afraid to let go in fear that letting to would mean she would be out in the open. Unprotected and unsafe.

"No, no reason. He just... I don't know. I think he didn't agree with what his brothers did. He just... He was different from them." Sarah replied, stumbling over her words slightly as she remembered the most terrifying hours of her life and the one anchor, the one comfort, that kept her from losing it. That comfort being John.

"Well, I hope he didn't risk his life for nothing." Steve said, pushing himself off the tree with a pained gasp and slight swaying, only kept upright by Grace's small hands on his leg. The world was blurry and spinning but he ignored it. He had to if he wanted to get Grace out of there alive.

"Uncle Steve, please can we stop. I'm too tired." Grace begged, sweat covering her own flushed face as she looked up at Steve with large, round hazel eyes.

"Gracie, I know you're tired but just a little longer. Can you do that for me? Just a little longer?" Steve asked, bending down and holding her chin in his hand. Grace hesitantly nodded and Steve kissed her forehead as he felt pride bursting through him. Sarah stumbled to her feet, her own hunger and fatigue making itself known as she swayed slightly on her sneaker clad feet.

"Let's go." Steve said, grabbing Grace's hand in his own and trying to stay focused and strong as he staggered towards the general direction of the pathway.

* * *

"Now what? We're one man down. Our strongest man!" Gary sighed, throwing his hands up in the air and pacing angrily as he stared at the lifeless body of his brother.

"In case you've forgotten, brother, he was ultimately only muscle. We all knew he wasn't strong enough to do this. He's too weak minded. It had to be done." Robert said, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood off of his face. He was emotionless, as usual, as he looked at the pool of blood growing beneath his brother's head. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips only to fade immediately. That small, unnoticeable gesture was a sign of pride. Pride for having killed. Satisfaction as he watched the blood ooze out of his brother's lifeless body. Soon the identity of the body faded and, to Robert, it was just another faceless job well done.

"Well, with one less man, we won't be able to find them as fast. It will take us so much longer to look for them without him." Gary protested, tugging at his curly brown hair. His blue eyes searched the greenery frantically as he wondered what the consequences of an unfinished job would be. Not good.

"We'll make do." Clint said, shrugging as he looked at his brother's lifeless eyes. He should have felt guilty for ratting on his brother, or at least a little remorseful, but he didn't. He thought John had practically asked for it, signed a death wish by betraying his own flesh and blood. Besides, he and John were never close so it wasn't like he would miss him that much anyway.

"We can do better than that." Mark said. He was kneeling down a few feet away from John's body, staring intently at the ground. He looked up and met his brothers' gazes, barring Robert who was already crouched down beside him.

"What do you mean?" Clint asked, stepping closer and kneeling down beside them as he tried to find what they were so fascinated by. Mark reached down and ran his hand alone the ground, pulling it away a moment later. He held his fingers up to make sure his brothers could see them clearly. Red stained the tips of his fingers.

"You see this?" Mark asked, standing up after Robert. Clint was next to stand up and they stood in a small circle around Mark as he wiped his fingers on a handkerchief. "It's blood. And, I'm betting it's Steve McGarrett's blood, which means he's badly injured, based on the fact that every few meters there's a gravitational drop."

Mark pointed in the direction in which the blood was leading. He had always been the most interested in forensics and he had managed to accumulate a large knowledge of it over the years. He turned to look back at his brothers and continued, "The further that way you go, the wetter the drops are. The other way, the drier they are. That means McGarrett and Sarah are heading in that direction." He pointed in the direction again, emphasizing his point.

"So we go that way." Robert said, shrugging and placing his gun back in his hand. He started walking, following the path left by the blood drops. His brothers followed him and held their guns at the ready.

"What about the girl?" Clint asked.

"What about her?" Robert asked, his gaze never wavering from the bloody path leading them to their victims.

"They have a little girl with them. What is she? Like twelve? What do we do with her?" Clint elaborated, the thought of killing a young child slightly unsettling. Just slightly.

"Kill her." Robert replied, with a shrug as if to say, 'isn't it obvious?'.

* * *

"So, Mister Jackson. You're in politics now?" Kono asked as she looked at the sweaty man sitting on the chair, handcuffs keeping him restrained. She and Chin stood side by side, looking down their noses at Jackson. He was sweaty, his hair sticking to his forehead and his white button up soaked through with sweat.

"Yeah. Where's my lawyer? I want my lawyer." Jackson said, trying to look anywhere but at the detectives. Chin snorted and took a step closer to Jackson, making him flinch.

"Why would you need a lawyer if you've got nothing to hide?" Chin asked, his gaze intimidating and challenging. He knew that Jackson was hiding something, he just wasn't sure what. He took another step back and pulled out his phone when he felt it vibrating. He looked at the screen and found five missed calls from Danny.

"Handle him for a while, will you?" Chin whispered in Kono's ear, walking outside the room to call Danny back. Whatever Danny needed to talk about, it was clearly urgent. Kono nodded and took a few steps closer to Jackson, smiling devilishly once the door was closed behind Chin, leaving her alone with Jackson.

"You know, I have a very low tolerance for cowards." Kono stated, walking around Jackson in circles. He twisted his head in every direction, trying desperately to keep an eye on her. "What, exactly, are you doing in politics, Mister Jackson?"

"I'm... I'm running for governor." Jackson replied, gulping nervously and staring at Kono worriedly as she stopped walking and knelt down in front of him. She said nothing for a long moment, watching as the sweat beaded on Jackson's forehead and trickled down his face.

"I see. And how are your ratings?" Kono asked, motive suddenly becoming clear. She stood back up and walked towards the wall parallel to Jackson, leaning nonchalantly against it. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for his answer. It worked every time. Keep moving, act relaxed, act carefree, and it unsettled the suspects for some reason. It made them squirm, feel uncomfortable and, more often than not, it made them confess unwillingly, accidentally answering a question that incriminated them or contradicted their previous statements.

"Average." Jackson replied, wiggling in his seat.

"Oh, really? I heard that you're in the bottom few." Kono retaliated, her voice remaining emotionless. She had seen Jackson on tv multiple times in the period leading up to elections which were in a few days.

"Uh... Yeah... I-I guess." Jackson said, trying and failing to sound unaffected by Kono catching him out on a lie.

"So, one boost in ratings is all you need to get to the top few. Maybe even win?" Kono asked, smiling as she stretched her hands out in front of her. She was trying to sound conversational. Conversational is often perceived as friendly, and being friendly makes the suspect think that that you don't consider them a suspect. Often, that approach made people feel comfortable enough to let down their guards. Letting down your guard in an interrogation was dangerous. A simple slip of the tongue was all it took to inadvertently admit to the crime. And, that slight slip of the tongue, was what incriminated Jackson.

"Yeah. You could say that." He said, smiling and shrugging as if to point out that she had nothing on him and she was simply stating the obvious.

"So, something like your daughter being kidnapped could boost the ratings, right?" Kono asked, standing up properly and ambling over to where Jackson was seated in a metal chair. "Sympathy form the public, right? They vote for you because the feel sorry for you, relate to you. Immediate boost in votes."

Jackson looked like he had seen a ghost as he shook his head wildly, sweat flying left and right. He stumbled over his words and stammered so much that Kono could barely hear what he was saying. "No... N-no, I mean yeah. But, no. I-I mean, I wouldn't... Like, arrange for my... My daughter's kidnapping. Or... Or her death. N-no." He stammered, his breathing fast and uneven as his heart rate sky rocketed from the stress.

"I never said you would. And I never mentioned her death. I was just making an observation. But, you see, now that you bring it up, there is a slight hitch in your story." Kono said, maintaining her friendly tone and welcoming posture, unsettling Jackson even more. Just the desired effect she had planned from the beginning.

"I want my lawyer. Right now. No more talking until my lawyer gets here." Jackson said, his voice shaky and soft as he shifted in his seat. Kono knew he was guilty of something, she just needed him to confess to what exactly it was that he was guilty of.

Chin entered the room calmly, followed by a short man in a navy blue suit and a leather briefcase held in his hand. "This is Jackson's lawyer." Chin said, gently grabbing Kono by the arm and taking her outside the room, allowing Jackson time to consult with his lawyer.

"Kono, Danny called me." Chin whispered.

"It's about time." Kono joked, giggling slightly but stopping when Chin's face remained deadpan. "What's wrong?"

"He's stuck in traffic. He was on his way to find Steve and Grace." Chin replied, sighing.

"Okay? I'm not getting what the problem is, cus." Kono shrugged, unable to see where the conversation was going.

"Steve's not at his house. His car isn't there and he isn't answering his phone. Danny thinks something happened." Chin replied, checking his watch quickly. It was ten o'clock in the evening and it was unusual for Steve to be out of reach, especially whilst he was with Grace and especially that late at night. Chin had felt an unsettling feeling sink into his stomach as Danny had told him everything he knew. He had a gut feeling that something was wrong and, more often than not, gut feelings turn out to be true.

"What do we do?" Kono asked, managing to remain calm despite her rising fear and worry.

"We meet Danny in ten minutes. For now, we get someone else to handle Jackson." Chin said, already heading out the door and towards his car. Kono followed behind him.

"Chin, do you have that feeling? You know... That... That feeling of impending doom. That feeling that something is wrong." Kono asked, staring out the window as Chin gunned the engine and sped off.

"Yeah. Why? Do you?" Chin asked, immediately beginning to worry even more so than before.

"Yeah." Kono replied quietly. The last time Kono had had that feeling was when Steve had been tortured in Korea. Chin and Danny had told her nothing was wrong, she was stressing over nothing, only to find out that her feeling had actually been leading onto something. Before that, she had a bad feeling when Steve had fallen down the cliff. She had tried to explain it to Chin but he hadn't understood. A few hours later, they got the call from Danny.

"Shit." Chin cursed, stepping on the gas, breaking every rule of the road and pissing off every driver in their path. The ten minute drive was the most grueling, agonizing drive of their lives.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I love reading what you guys have to say. Thanks to those of you who review or follow or favorite. **

* * *

Kono and Chin drove up to the location Danny had told them to meet him at, quickly parking across two parking spots. Danny was standing by another car, Steve's car. He was pacing anxiously, running his hands through his blond hair, cursing under his breath and looking around frantically. Finally, he saw Kono and Chin and he motioned for them to walk faster, so they did.

Kono knew something was wrong. Sure, Danny was a worry wart, a drama queen and he overreacted, but she had never seen him so flustered, so panicked. He was almost panting as he leaned against Steve's car and looked at something just over Kono's shoulder. Kono took a step closer, tentatively placing a hand on his arm as she looked into his eyes. They were wet with unshed tears and slightly red, large bags hung underneath them.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Kono asked, briefly glancing around, searching for any sign of Steve but not finding him anywhere. She saw Chin do the same and she nodded when he gestured that he was going to have a look around the parking lot. Kono recognized the place, it was Steve's favorite hiking/running venue, she had run it once with him. The parking lot was dark, only illuminated by the moonlight and one or two dim street lamps.

"Steve has Grace and I think something is wrong." Danny said, his voice slightly shaky as he ran his hands over his face, sighing heavily. Chin returned, shaking his head as Kono shrugged, silently asking him if he had found anything suspicious.

"Danny, what happened? From the beginning." Chin said, a frown etched on his features as he stared sympathetically and worriedly at Danny. Danny was staring at the floor, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. "Danny?" Chin repeated, this time getting Danny to look him in the eyes.

"I went out with Rachel to discuss things about Grace, and Steve said he would take Grace for the afternoon. He said to meet him at his place for dinner. I told him I would be done at about eight. I got to his house later than I thought and found it empty, his car was gone, and I figured he would have told me if he had decided to change the plans. Like, if he decided he wanted to go out for dinner or catch a movie instead, he would have called me to let me know. So, I just had this..." He paused, searching for the right word to say as he gulped nervously. "This feeling that something was wrong, this gut feeling, you know?" Danny asked, locking gazes with Kono. She nodded, her hand still resting on his arm, gently rubbing it up and down soothingly, hoping to provide some form of comfort.

"So, I knew Grace had been begging me to take her camping for weeks. I told her no, but I knew she would try her luck with Steve and I knew he would say yes. And, I knew he would take her here, he loves it here. I drove here, and his car is here..." Danny trailed off, starting to pace anxiously again, biting his thumb nail nervously as he muttered under his breath again.

"What are you saying, Danny?" Kono asked, briefly glancing at Chin. She bit her lip nervously, knowing what the answer would be but wanting to hear some sort of confirmation.

"I don't know how to describe it, but I know, I just know, that Steve and Grace are in there, and that something is wrong. I just know." Danny said, pointing at the hiking trail Steve so often took. Kono locked gazes with Chin, already calling for backup.

* * *

"We've been walking for almost an entire fucking hour, when the hell are we going to find these dicks so we can finish them off already?" Clint moaned as he followed Mark, Gary and Robert through the dense shrubbery. It was dark and he and his brothers were tripping and falling, unable to see the ground beneath their feet as they walked blindly. He was getting agitated, he wanted to find Steve and Sarah and finish his job, go home and get paid then move on to the next victim.

"Shut the hell up, you've been complaining the entire time." Gary snapped, also frustrated and angry and impatient. They had been following the blood trail for an hour, moving quickly and silently, if not for the constant whining coming from Clint. Mark led the way, Robert behind him, Gary behind Robert and Clint behind Gary. Each held a fully loaded gun, each gun had the safety released and each man was anxious to fire the gun.

"We're getting closer." Mark said, earning relieved sighs from the rest of the brothers, except Robert who hadn't said a word the entire time. He was planning his encounter with Steve McGarrett. He was waiting for the moment he could get Steve on the ground and look into his eyes as he shot him in the stomach and watched him bleed to death. He would take satisfaction in killing Steve.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the trees, and it hadn't come from any of the brothers. They all froze in their tracks, listening intently as they waited to hear more. Then, there were voices, first a woman's then a man's then the same woman's again. The words were too muffled to hear, but there were definitely voices.

"You hear that?" Robert said, a huge smile playing at his lips. He almost laughed in anticipation and excitement. They were close, so close he could almost taste it. "We've found them."

* * *

"I can't do this anymore. I'm tired." Sarah said for the umpteenth time, her feet dragging behind her as she lagged behind Steve. Steve was holding Grace on his back, her arms looped around his neck and her legs looped around his waist. He was struggling to lift his own feet, but he refused to stop. Just a little longer and they could get the hell out of that God forsaken jungle and back to safety.

He knew Danny would have figured out something was wrong a while ago, but he also knew Danny wouldn't know exactly where they were or exactly what was wrong. He had promised to keep Grace safe, though, and he would. He would get Grace to safety, even if he risked his own life in the process. He wouldn't let Danny down, he would take care of Grace even if it was the last thing he did. He had promised t keep Grace safe, and Steve McGarrett was a man of his word.

"Sarah, keep pushing. Okay." Steve said, not daring to stop in fear that the brothers would catch up to them. He felt Grace's hand brush over his right shoulder and he couldn't help the sharp intake of air as the soft touch sent daggers down his chest and arm. Grace kissed his cheek, her teary cheeks wetting his as her face brushed against his.

"Uncle Steve, you can do it." Grace whispered, and Steve smiled, leaning his head into hers in response. He had been getting weaker as the blood loss increased and the pain worsened and he had gotten close to giving up more than once, only the thought of keeping Grace safe kept him going. But, now, hearing those few words from a young girl wise beyond her years, it pushed him even more to keep going, to prove to Grace that she was right, that he could do it. She had faith in him and he needed to know that her faith was well deserved.

"Please can we stop, please." Sarah begged as she leaned against a tree, huffing and puffing, almost gasping for breath. They had finished off the last of the water and food a long time ago, and in the dark it was taking them longer to find the trail than it should have. Sarah and Steve were too tired, too fatigued to lift their feet high enough to avoid all the branches and vines, and they had tripped continuously. They were all tired, they were all thirsty, and they were all hungry, but Steve was too determined to stop.

Steve was about to reply, but a distant rustling in the trees made him stop in his tracks. He held his hand up, motioning for Sarah to stop walking and she did. He listened and, although it was faint, he could hear it. There were footsteps, many of them, and they were getting closer fast. Steve turned around and started running with Grace clinging tightly onto him still. "Run!" He yelled at Sarah, glancing back to make sure she was following him and looking forward again when he found her only a foot or two behind him, running faster than she had all night.

Suddenly gunshots filled the air and Steve flung Gracie off his back, holding her to his chest as his body shielded her from the oncoming bullets. "Sarah, get in front of me, now." Steve ordered and she did as she was told, sprinting to get in front of Steve and out of harm's way. Steve felt an agonizing pain tear through his chest as a bullet whizzed past him, taking a large chunk of flesh from his ribs, and he gasped in pain.

Turning around ever so slightly, Steve looked behind him and saw the brothers, running faster than Steve and Sarah were, firing shot after shot at them. Grace was clinging onto Steve, crying and sobbing, and Sarah was running as fast as she could, also sobbing loudly. The brothers were going to catch up to Steve and Sarah and Grace eventually, it was inevitable. They were gaining ground fast and, if Steve didn't do something, he, Sarah and Grace would be dead in a matter of minutes.

"Sarah, take Grace and lie down by those bushes. Make sure you can't be seen." Steve said, a plan already formulating in his head. If Sarah and Grace hid but Steve kept running, the brothers would chase after rim and that would give Sarah and Grace a chance to escape. "Take the gun with you." Steve added as they neared the bushes.

"No. I'm not leaving you." Sarah said, shaking her head as Steve held he gun out to her. Steve looked over his shoulder again, finding the brothers even closer than before. He looked back at Sarah and held the gun out further. His expression left no room for argument and Sarah finally took the gun, tears welling in her eyes again.

"Take the gun, take Grace and hide. As soon as I'm out of sight, run as fast as you can. Get out of here, don't wait for me." Steve said, pulling Grace off of his body, desperately pulling at her waist as her hands tightened around his neck. "Grace, I need you to go with Sarah, okay?" Steve whispered in her ear calmly.

"No, uncle Steve. I want to stay with you." Grace sobbed, her grip on Steve tightening further. Steve kept pulling her off, trying to ignore her desperate cries for him not to. The brothers were getting closer and Sarah and Grace needed to hide, now.

"Grace, I'll come back for you, okay? I need you to go with Sarah. Please, please." Steve begged, finally prying her off of him. He handed her to Sarah, kissing her on the forehead. Sarah held the gun up, holding it open in her palm as they stood still, the gunshots coming to a stop as the brothers reloaded. "Take the gun, Sarah." Steve said, pushing her hand away. The brothers were getting closer and closer, he needed to get moving.

"If you're going to go off on your own, at least have protection. We will be fine, I promise." Sarah said, shoving the gun in Steve's hand. Steve took it, glancing over his shoulder as he dug in his pocket, bringing out the pocket knife. He held the gun out to Sarah again, holding the pocket knife in the air. She needed the gun more than he did, she needed it to protect Grace.

"I have protection. Now take the gun and hide. Now. Look after Grace, okay?" Steve said, kissing Grace's forehead one more time before sharing an intense stare with Sarah. He nodded before turning on his heels and running in another direction. He glanced over his shoulder, pleased to find that it was impossible to see Sarah and Grace as they hid behind the bushes, even more pleased to find that the brothers had followed him.

The gunfire started again and Steve tried his best to stay hidden behind trees and foliage, but the gunfire was unrelenting and getting closer. He tripped and almost fell as he felt searing pain in his side. His hand automatically went to his side and came away bloodied as the gunshot wound oozed blood. He stumbled and staggered but he kept running, planning to draw the brothers as far away from Sarah and Grace as possible.

His chest was on fire, his broken ribs moving and scraping against each other as he ran. His shoulder had reached the point of being numb and it hung uselessly by his side as he ducked and dived to the best of his ability. His stomach ached and stung, the twisting motions of his waist sending agonizing pain through his torso and stomach. His leg wound had started bleeding again, the constant movement of his leg tearing open whatever scabbing had begun forming.

Black dots were dancing in his vision, the blood loss becoming too much for his battered body to handle, and he finally fell to his knees, every inch of his body hurting as he swayed. The brothers were getting closer, he could hear them, but he didn't move, he stayed on his knees, the pocket knife held tightly in his left hand, concealed as his fingers wrapped around it.

Then, he waited until the brothers were standing next to him before he made his next move. He felt the barrel of a gun against his temple, bruising him as it was pushed harder and harder. He felt a hand wrap itself in his hair, lifting his chin up as another gun was pushed against his injured shoulder. He tensed in agony but didn't react otherwise.

"Where is the girl?" One of the brothers asked, presumably the leader... Robert was his name.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Steve answered, smirking smugly. His reply earned him a punch across the jaw, sending him reeling, and he spat out blood before looking back up at Robert.

"Tell us, or you die." Robert replied and Steve heard the safety on the gun held against his temple being released. "You have three seconds." Robert added.

Steve didn't reply, keeping eye contact with Robert.

"Three... Two... Last chance, McGarrett." Robert said, grabbing Steve's chin in his hand. Steve shook his head and laughed, purposely trying to piss Robert and his brothers off. The laugh did the trick and another fist collided with his jaw, almost knocking him off his knees and on to his back, had it not been for the hand gripping his hair. He spat out more blood, moving his jaw and staring at Robert. He still didn't answer.

"One." Robert said. "Time's up."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys. So sorry for the long wait. Thank you for the very kind reviews on my last chapter, you guys make my day. **

**Thank you to anyone who followed, favorited or reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter:)**

* * *

"One." Robert said. "Time's up."

Steve tightened his grip on the pocket knife and, with one swift and effortless motion he plunged it into the leg of the man holding the gun to his temple. The brother screamed in agony and dropped the gun as his hands flew to his injured thigh, gripping it tightly as he collapsed sideways, crying and yelling pathetically.

Steve used the distraction to his advantage. As the brother fell, the others were momentarily distracted, and that was all the time Steve needed. He caught the gun before it even hit the ground, managing to swivel on his knees and fire two shots. The bullets hit their targets, downing the brother who had held the gun to Steve's shoulder, blood oozing from the bullet wounds in his knees. The brother cried out, his scream hoarse and ragged and desperate as agony overwhelmed him and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

A third brother tried to grab Steve's arms, but his stance and positioning made it easy for Steve to grab the man by the head and flip him to the ground. The brother landed with a thump and Steve stood as quickly as possible, trying to ignore the pain lancing through his body, radiating through his chest and shoulder and stomach. Mustering all his strength, Steve kicked out, catching the fallen brother in the face. The brother went reeling, blood pouring out of his nose and on to the ground as he rolled around on the floor crying.

Someone wrapped their arms around Steve's neck, pulling him into a chokehold. He felt the edge of a knife being pushed onto his neck, just hard enough to break skin and draw blood. Cocking the gun in his hand, Steve lifted up his right arm, firing the gun instantly. The bullet hit the man in the shoulder and he fell to the floor, groaning as blood oozed from his new wounds. It was the brother who Steve had stabbed in the leg. Steve picked up the dropped pocket knife and plunged it into the man's hand, nailing it to the ground. The man screamed hysterically and sobbed and writhed until the pain proved too much and he lost consciousness.

Blood was mixing with soil, turning the dark brown and green ground a dark crimson. Steve heard someone struggling behind him and he turned just in time to see the brother with the broken nose scrambling to his hands and knees, blood still pouring from his nose. Steve lifted up his arm, pointing the gun at the struggling brother. Steve's hand was trembling as blood loss and pain wreaked havoc on his body, but he was still steady enough to hit the brother exactly where he wanted to. In the thigh. The brother cried out, grabbing his thigh and writhing on the ground. Steve delivered another bone crushing kick to the brother's face and the brother was out before Steve's foot was back on the ground.

No one else was in sight, and Steve took a deep breath, sagging slightly as he looked around, eying the unconscious brothers at his feet. Steve put the gun between his belt and pants and placed his free hand on his stomach. He looked down, finding his white shirt stained red in the bottom corner, but a quick check of the wound revealed that it was only a deep graze. It hurt, but it wasn't serious on its own. Steve felt the umpteenth adrenalin rush of the day wearing off and he slouched, suddenly unable to carry his own body weight any longer.

That's when he heard the sound of a gun's safety being releases behind him. "Don't move, McGarrett." A voice said and Steve listened. He stood still, not daring to move as his eyes scanned the ground by his feet frantically. Three unconscious brothers lay before him, and, in his frantic and rushed and panicked struggle against the brothers, Steve had forgotten about Robert. He hadn't taken the time to count how many brothers were downed, and he hadn't been careful enough to take down Robert first. And there was no way it was Jack, it wasn't his voice and Steve had a gut feeling Robert had killed Jack.

Slowly Steve lowered his right hand, curling his fingers around the gun, placing his index finger on the trigger. "Turn around, now. And put your hands in the air." Robert said. Steve's heart was hammering, his head was pounding and sweat was pouring down his face so fast that he had to blink it out of his eyes.

Quickly and without hesitation, Steve turned on his heels, pulling his gun out of his belt and releasing the safety before Robert had even been able to pull the trigger on his own gun. The two men stood face to face, their guns aimed at each other's chests. Steve was panting and so was Robert, their harsh breathing being the only sound that filled the air. "Put down the gun." Steve said, his voice confident and commanding, if not for the short and barely noticeable pants between each word. "Shooting a Hawaii Five-0 detective will be one of the worst mistakes you've ever made."

Robert had the audacity to laugh. He threw his head back and laughed gutturally, evilly, mockingly. He looked back at Steve, a smug smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. "Like I haven't already shot you. Look at you. You're a mess. One more hole won't hurt, now will it?" Robert snorted, his eyes briefly scanning over Steve's bloodied and bruised appearance, settling on his eyes again.

It was almost as if the world was going in slow motion as Steve pulled the trigger on his own gun. He aimed at Robert's thigh, a debilitating injury but, if done properly, not immediately life threatening. Steve waited for the sound of a bullet tearing through the air. A sound that never came. The sound of an empty chamber filled the air instead and Steve realized that the sound had come from his own weapon, his only proper protection. His heart sunk as he lowered his hand to his side, releasing his death grip on the empty gun.

"Walk towards me slowly, hands in the air." Robert said, a mocking and patronizing smile tugging at his lips as he made a poor attempt to stifle a laugh. Steve realized he was defenseless, except for his pocket knife which he still held tightly. He wrapped his fingers around it, holding it tightly even as the blade broke skin. "And drop the knife." Robert added, his eyes flicking to Steve's hand before returning to his face. Steve growled in frustration but did as he was told and dropped the pocket knife.

He had no choice but to do as Robert said. He was defenseless, powerless and his vision was graying at the edges. His body was worn out and battered and bruised, and he needed food and water. But, as long as Grace and Sarah made it out okay, Steve didn't care about himself. As long as Danny and Grace were reunited, Steve didn't care about himself. As long as he had kept his promise and kept Grace safe, Steve didn't care about himself.

He took slow, deliberate strides towards Robert, eying the fallen brothers on the ground as he heard one of them moan. At least if they did regain consciousness, Steve knew they wouldn't be able to get up, not with the injuries he had given them. "Don't you want to help your brothers?" Steve asked, trying to distract Robert in order to make a move. But, Robert was too focused on the task at hand. He shook his head and shrugged, the gun in his hand never wavering from Steve's chest.

"No, they're liabilities now, anyway. They can lie here and bleed out for all I care." Robert said, his gaze never wandering from Steve. Steve was slightly taken aback by Robert's harsh statement, but he had expected nothing less. As Robert raised his gun and held it against Steve's neck, Steve found himself wondering whether Grace and Sarah had made it out okay. He hoped they had. He prayed they had. "Now walk, McGarrett, and don't try anything funny. Got it?" Robert said, pushing Steve with the muzzle of his gun.

Steve walked, his feet dragging and tripping over roots and vines as he found himself scanning the forest, looking for any sign of Sarah or Grace, but finding none. The muzzle of the gun was pushed against Steve's injured shoulder and he winced as he was pushed along, being guided to an unknown destination.

* * *

Grace and Sarah ran like they never have before. They ran even as their legs wobbled unsteadily, they ran even as their lungs refused to work properly, they ran even as their vision was blurred with sweat. They didn't stop. They refused to stop. They couldn't stop when Steve had risked his life for them, when he had given them the opportunity to get out. They needed to get to help and send help to him.

After what felt like hours of running, they found the trail and they continued running. Sarah lagged behind and Grace begged and pleaded for her to keep up. Sarah had started dropping back more and more, until gunshots were heard. They weren't sure who had fired them or how far away they were, but they ran harder, faster. They sprinted down the trail, hoping that the next step they took would be the step that led them out the forest.

Eventually, Grace spotted paving and she looked over her shoulder at a struggling Sarah. Sarah was struggling, and so was Grace, but they were so close now. A few hops down the stairs and they had reached the parking lot where Steve had worked when he and Grace had arrived. In the distance, Grace spotted more cars and a group of people talking. But, more specifically, she noticed the head of blond hair at the edge of the crowd. She knew that hair.

"Danno? Danno!" She yelled as she ran forward. Behind her, Sarah was running, stumbling and tripping, but running nonetheless, "Danno!" Grace yelled again, and this time, she was heard.

In the crowd of policeman, Danny turned around as he heard his name being called out by a familiar voice, a comforting voice. He locked gazes with Grace and, without a moment's hesitation, he ran for her, yelling her name as he opened his arms. Within seconds, their bodies collided and Danny lifted Grace up in his arms, squeezing her and kissing her sweaty forehead as he blinked back the tears that had been threatening to spill.

Behind Danny, Kono and Chin ran forward. Chin gently took Sarah's arm and helped her to the ambulance on site. He assisted the paramedics and got her water and anything else she needed. Kono placed a hand on Danny's back and gently guided him to a second ambulance, but not telling him to let go of Grace before he was ready. Danny gently placed Grace down on the ambulance and sat beside her as the paramedics checked her and treated any minor scrapes and bruises she had acquired in the mad rush out the jungle and away from the brothers.

"Danno, you have to help uncle Steve." Grace said softly after a few minutes of silence as she was treated in the back of an ambulance by a very nice middle aged paramedic with balding hair. She pulled a hand out of the blanket that had been placed on her shoulders and squeezed Danny's hand. "Danno, he's still in there and he needs help."

"What? Where is he? Grace, is he okay?" Danny asked, his heartbeat quickening and his panic rising as he noticed the blood on Grace's shirt. There was so much of it. And it wasn't hers.

"He's hurt, Danno. And he needs help." Grace said, her teary brown eyes meeting Danny's and communicating such fear, such worry, such panic that it made Danny's heart skip a beat.

"I'll be back now, monkey. Okay?" Danny said, kissing Grace's cheek before standing up and striding over to Kono. She was surrounded by a group of policeman taking notes and asking the other victim a few questions. The other victim was a girl named Sarah Jackson, Danny had been told everything about her by Chin. She stood with a blanket over her shoulders, covering her dirty and muddied clothes. Her brown hair was damp with sweat, her cheeks were rosy and sweaty and she had tears mixing in with the sweat on her face.

She was trembling and crying and occasionally Kono would give her arm a reassuring squeeze. Danny cut in, interrupting the policeman before he could ask any more questions. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need I talk to Officer Kalakaua." Danny said, grabbing Kono's arm and pulling her to the side.

"What's up?" Kono asked, smiling falsely as she put her hands in her pockets nonchalantly.

"Steve is still in there, and he's hurt." Danny said. Kono's smile faded and her body tensed as she stared over Danny's shoulder at he dense shrubbery. They had heard faint sounds of gunshots not long ago before backup had arrived, and Kono couldn't help but think that they had something to do with Steve.

"Steve? Steve is the man who helped me." Sarah said, pushing between Kono and Danny. She looked up at Danny with red brimmed eyes and Danny grabbed her shoulder, gulping nervously as he thought of his friend hurt and alone in there.

"Miss Jackson, I need you to tell me where exactly the last place was that you saw him. And I need you to tell me everything you can about the men who took you. Okay?" Danny said, nodding emphatically as he tried to push the fear away, tried to think positively. Steve was strong, Steve could take on a whole army of men and still come out of it. Steve was a super SEAL. Steve would be okay... Maybe.

"I've already told the other policeman." Sarah whined, her voice dragging and annoying as she pulled a dramatic face. Danny took a deep breath, trying desperately to keep calm. Sarah was being a spoilt brat while his friend, the man who had saved Sarah and Grace's lives was stuck in the forest, possibly caught by a group of men who wanted him dead, or maybe lost and alone and hurt.

"Well, tell me again. I need you to tell me personally." Danny said, his voice pinched in annoyance. Kono placed a hand on his shoulder when she noticed his body tensing and his hands curling into fists at his side. Danny relaxed at her touch, but only slightly. "He saved your life and he saved my daughter's life, you owe him enough to tell the story one last time."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Sarah said, nodding in agreement. It took her all of five minutes to tell danny everything as Kono took down notes. It took another five minutes to assemble a search party, including paramedics, and a further two minutes for Danny to call Rachel and tell her to come pick Grace up. Sarah had insisted on personally accompanying them on their search, and after a lot of arguing and debating, Danny had allowed her to. Then, Danny, Kono, Chin, Sarah and the search team walked into the forest, following Sarah as she led them back to the last spot she had seen Steve.

It was from there that they followed the path of crushed foliage and blood drops. And it was following that trail that led them exactly where they wanted to go.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi guys. Sorry for the long wait! I would just like to express how grateful and appreciative I am for the fantastic support on my story and the many kind reviewers. You guys are amazing.**

* * *

"Where are we going?" Steve asked. They were still walking through the greenery, Robert was holding his gun to Steve's head and Steve was stumbling in front of Robert. Each vine and root tripped Steve, and he fell on his knees more than once, his legs felt too heavy to lift and his energy was draining fast. He was in pain and his vision was blurring more with each step he took. Steve's hand was pushed against the wound on his shoulder in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding, and his chest ached with every ragged breath he took

"Shut up and keep walking." Robert said. He was nervous and scared and Steve could sense it. He was restless and he kept glancing left and right as if he was waiting for someone to find them. Steve's heart was beating hard and fast and each time it beat, it sent pain shooting through Steve's chest. He wasn't scared, he had no reason to be scared. Grace and Sarah were safe, and Steve had been in much worse situations before. Steve was going into shock, and he needed to get out of there before he succumbed to it, he couldn't let Robert escape. So, he kept pushing himself even as his vision grayed and his heartbeat quickened and he stumbled and tripped and staggered.

"This is pointless. Give it up, you've lost, there's no way out now." Steve argued. His voice was smaller and shakier than usual but it still held conviction, and he sounded more sure of himself than Robert did, which meant Steve had one advantage. As soon as you lost certainty in yourself, you were fighting a losing battle, and that's something Steve had learnt the hard way. "Whatever happens, Sarah will get out and she will tell the police about you. She can identify you."

"What are you trying to do, McGarrett? Nothing you say will change my mind. I've done this so many times before and I've never been caught, and I don't intend to get caught this time either." Robert spat, his hot breath fanning over the back of Steve's neck. His breathing was fast and uneven, but his gun was unwavering as it pushed harder and harder against Steve.

Steve looked through the trees as he walked forward, barely missing an intertwined vine on the ground that would have tripped him. Steve wondered whether Sarah and Grace had found Danny. He wondered where they were and if they were getting help. He wondered whether Danny was going to come looking for him, if Danny even knew where Steve was or that something was wrong. Steve had no doubt that Danny would do everything in his power to save him, but Steve couldn't bank all his faith in Danny. If Danny didn't know about him, Steve would have to get out on his own.

Just ahead, Steve could barely make out that the ground sloped steeply before flattening out again. They were heading in that exact direction, and Steve could use that as the first step in his escape plan. As they neared the slope, Steve took a deep breath as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. He would have to ignore the aching and throbbing of his body, and ignore the lightheadedness that accompanied blood loss, and he would just have to push.

"You let me go now, and maybe you can get a head start. But, kill me and you're dead within the hour." Steve threatened, trying to distract Robert as he surveyed the slope. It was covered in thick greenery, and in the darkness of the night, Steve could barely distinguish one bush from the other.

"You don't know that. You know nothing, McGarrett, so don't pretend you do. I'm not big into facades." Robert said, irritation clear in his harsh tone. They were only a few steps away from the slope and Steve knew he would have to move soon, he would have to be quick and do it without hesitation. One second thought and the entire plan could blow up in his face. He couldn't afford to make a mistake.

"I know that my team will find you. You will never be free again. They're not big into murdering psychopaths." Steve said, mocking Robert's previous statement. Robert had the audacity to snort behind Steve, clearly not taking anything Steve said seriously. Steve counted the steps. Three more steps and he would have to make his move. He tensed his body and pushed the pain to the back of his mind. Two more steps. He took a deep breath and focused on dulling the almost excruciating pain radiating from his shoulder and chest. One.

Then, he did it. He reached behind him and grabbed Robert's free hand before he jumped forward. They flew through the air for what seemed like ages and Steve let go of Robert before they both landed on the ground with a loud thud. Then, the world around Steve started spinning as he tumbled down the slope, crashing into bushes and rolling over rocks and tree trunks. His body was thrown around like a rag doll, and he had to stop himself from groaning in pain as his shoulder and chest were hit and pushed.

He got caught in thorn bushes and he grunted as the long thorns ripped the skin on his face and arms and neck, and tore his clothing into shreds. Just behind him, Steve heard Robert yell and he knew that the criminal had just got caught in the thorns, too. Steve kept rolling for what seemed like ages, and the world moved in slow motion, he curled in on himself for protection as he fell down the slope until he eventually landed at the bottom, sprawled across soil and grass. It was so soft and he had to resist the almost overwhelming urge to close his eyes and fade into darkness on the comfort of the ground.

But, the pained groan just beside Steve brought him back to reality and his SEAL training kicked in immediately. Pain and blood loss and dehydration was forgotten as he stood on shaky legs. In front of him, Robert was doing the same as he leaned heavily against a tree, gasping for breath that refused to fill his lungs. Steve ran forward and tackled Robert to the ground.

Beneath Steve, Robert gasped as he looked around frantically, unable to push past the disorientation. Steve wrapped his bloodied hands around Robert's neck and squeezed tightly. He squeezed even as Robert writhed beneath him and coughed and spluttered, his lips turning a soft shade of blue. Robert's bruised and bloodied face was contorted in pain and anger, and Steve smiled as he thought he had finally defeated Robert. But, his excitement came too soon.

Robert reached up with one hand and tried to pry the fingers off his neck as his other hand searched the ground for the gun he had dropped during the tumble down the hill. Steve was too late and didn't catch Robert's hand in time to stop him from finding the handle of the gun. Robert grabbed it quickly and placed his finger on the trigger as he lifted the gun and fired a shot. The first bullet only grazed Steve's stomach, right between the graze on his chest and the graze on his stomach. Steve grunted in pain but didn't loosen his grip on Robert's neck.

The second shot hit its target. The bullet went straight through Steve's stomach and he gasped in pain as he collapsed on his side and wrapped his arms around his damaged stomach. Blood oozed between Steve's fingers and the dull throbbing quickly turned into an excruciating agony that shot through his stomach and up his chest and down his legs. He choked on a pained sob and tried to curl in on himself as his vision turned to black and grey.

But, before Steve could curl in on himself, a foot connected solidly with his cheek and Steve's neck snapped back as his skin split open and blood poured into his eye. Steve barely had time to recover before a second kick was aimed at his chest. The kick jostled his broken ribs and Steve cried out in agony as the pain threatened to pull him into unconsciousness. But, he refused to let Robert win so easily. Steve's vision was blurry and unfocused, blurred by the blood and graying vision, but he could just make out Robert's figure looming over him intimidatingly.

Steve kicked out with his own leg and swept Robert's feet out from under him. Robert landed on his back with a loud thud and a pained groan as the air rushed out of his lungs. His hand involuntarily released its grip on the gun, and Steve managed to somehow get to his knees and dive for the gun. Pain lanced down his body as it crashed into the ground, but Steve pushed past it as he turned onto his back and aimed the gun at Robert who was struggling to get to his hands and knees.

"Go to hell, asshole." Steve spat as he pulled the trigger. But, the chamber clicked empty and Steve checked the chamber in disbelief. True to god, it was empty and Steve cursed loudly as he threw the useless weapon to the side. Robert chuckled maliciously and got to his feet before Steve was even on all fours. Blood was pouring from Steve's wounds, new and old as any clotting that had managed to occur was reversed.

Robert ran forward and wrapped both arms around Steve's torso as he tackled him to the ground. Steve fell back with a moan as Robert landed on top of him. "Not so tough now, are we?" Robert asked as he punched Steve across the face. Steve tasted the familiar taste of copper filling his mouth and he spat the blood out, smiling when it landed in Robert's eyes. The small distraction was all Steve needed to land a bone crushing blow to Robert's face. Robert was sent flying to his side and he landed on the ground beside Steve heavily.

Steve got to his knees and jumped on top of Robert. He landed blow after blow to Robert's face and chest, his blows strong and determined. In the distance, Steve heard the sound of voices, lots of them, and they were coming his way. Robert heard them too and his eyes widened in panic and fear. Robert landed a blow to Steve's stomach, right by his bullet wound, and Steve screamed in pain before falling backward, his hands pushing against his bullet wound as the pain heightened to new extremes.

The voices were getting louder and Steve recognized one of them. The loud, obnoxious Jersey accent was unmistakable, and Steve knew help was coming. Through the pain and fatigue, Steve smiled, even if it did look more like a pained grimace. But, his happiness was short lived as Robert jumped back on top of him, landing blow after blow to Steve's face and chest. Steve was hanging onto consciousness by a thread as each punch pushed down on his broken ribs and multiple grazes, and a stream of blood flowed down Steve's side, staining his pants and shirt.

"Here! Danny!" Steve screamed, finding the energy to raise his voice despite the crushed chest and lightheadedness. Robert grew angrier as Steve called for help and his blows became more frequent, harder, more vicious. Steve managed to lift up his legs and push Robert away. Robert staggered backwards until he lost his balance and fell, gasping as his head hit a rock laying on the ground. But, Steve didn't stop even as Robert's eyelids fluttered, and he jumped back on top of Robert.

By then, they were both messes, bleeding and sweating, messes of broken bones and torn skin. They both traded blows, no one gaining the upper hand and each one getting weaker with each second that passed. The voices were so close, and the footsteps were so clear. Steve could barely make out Danny calling out his name over the sound of flesh connecting with flesh, but he did hear it and he replied, "Danny! I'm here. I'm here, Danny."

It seemed like forever before help arrived. Constant hitting and wrestling and cursing and tackling for what felt like hours. But, soon enough, Steve heard the words he had been waiting to hear all night. "Hawaii Five-0. Stand up and put your hands in the air now." It was Danny's voice, and at hearing it, Steve allowed himself to fall off Robert as the pain and blood loss started becoming too much for his battered and bruised body to handle.

He lay on the ground limply as Robert stood on shaky legs before two policemen ran forward and cuffed him immediately, roughly pushing him away from Steve. The world was spinning and his head was pounding as the people around him moved in blurs. Steve felt people prodding and poking him, but his body had started becoming numb and he could hardly feel it as they inserted needles into his arm. IVs and drips.

He felt himself being lifted up, and it hurt like hell but he was too weak to cry out, before he was strapped to a backboard. Help was there at last, and, finally, he could sleep. He could drift into unconsciousness. His mind was at ease as he realized that Danny had found him, and that meant Grace had found Danny, which meant she was safe. Familiar blond hair came into view and Steve smiled as Danny's concerned blue eyes met his. "Danno." Steve said weakly, his voice hoarse and barely audible.

"Steve, you really are one of a kind, my friend. One of an absolute kind." Danny said in disbelief as Steve felt himself being moved, the backboard he was laying on swayed slightly as the paramedics that had been working in him steadied it. They were stating Steve's injuries, and they were not a surprise. Steve had already known about all of them, but Danny hadn't and he gasped and tensed at Steve's side in anger and shock. Steve was a mess of blood and bruising and broken bones, and Danny had never wanted revenge as much as he did in that moment. He would make the people who had done this to Steve regret it severely. He would make them suffer.

"Danny, I kept my promise." Steve said breathlessly as the paramedics started carrying him through the jungle, back to the car park where the ambulances waited. Robert was being escorted by two policemen in front of him and Kono and Chin were following behind him. The policemen had stayed behind to investigate the crime scene, kindly allowing the rest of Hawaii Five-0 to stick with their wounded captain.

"What promise?" Danny asked, watching nervously as the paramedics applied pressure to Steve's multiple gunshot wounds. Steve was too numb to even feel them, and that concerned Danny more than he was willing to admit. He blinked away tears as he looked into Steve's dull and agonized eyes.

"Grace is okay. I kept my promise." Steve said as his eyes fluttered shut. The paramedics started working faster, screaming things at each other, things that Danny didn't understand, and performing procedures Danny couldn't follow. He allowed a single tear of frustration and fear and anger to fall down his cheek as he followed the slightly panicked paramedics through the forest. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Chin looking at him sympathetically. He, Kono and Chin ran side by side, trying to keep up with the paramedics.

"She's okay. You did good, Steve." Danny muttered under his breath as more tears fell down his cheeks. Steve wasn't breathing by himself anymore, and one of the paramedics was feverishly pumping oxygen into is lungs. They were still talking to each other and Danny couldn't understand anything they said. "You did good, Steve."

* * *

Danny was pacing up and down the corridor outside of the operating room, biting his nails anxiously and running his hands through his hair. Steve's dry blood was cake on his untucked, creased button up shirt, but Danny didn't notice. Kono and Chin were still in the forest, investigating the crime scene where Robert's dead brother, John, had been found. The remaining brothers who Steve had fought had been found, all still unconscious and bleeding on the ground where Steve had left them.

But, Danny didn't care about them at that moment. His thoughts were almost entirely consumed by Steve, lying in the operating room, being worked on by doctors as he clung onto life by only a thin thread. Rachel had taken Grace home and told Danny that she would call him soon so he could see Grace and they could talk about the 'consequences of carelessness on both Steve and Danny's side'. Danny really wasn't in the mood for another one of Rachel's monotonous lectures, but he would handle it, as long as Steve made it through.

If Steve didn't make it, if Steve did die on that operating table, Danny wasn't sure how he would carry on. Steve was his best friend, his work partner and his brother. Without Steve, Danny wouldn't be able to continue working at Five-0, he wouldn't want the constant reminder that Steve wasn't around anymore. He would stay in Hawaii, of course, for Grace, he would follow her anywhere she wanted, but his life would still change drastically.

Despite their constant bickering and disagreements, Steve and Danny loved each other like brothers. Not only that, but Grace loved Steve as if he was family, which, in a way, he was, and if anything was to happen to him, Grace would struggle too. That got Danny to thinking, what if something happened to him? He couldn't leave Grace without a father, he wouldn't let her grow up without him, and being in the profession he was in, Danny knew there was a high chance of something happening to him, something that would leave Grace fatherless.

After seeing what happened to Steve, Danny was having second thoughts about everything. Working in Hawaii Five-0 was dangerous and something could happen to him at any moment. He didn't want to put Grace in danger, but he couldn't help it. Working for Five-0 was dangerous for her too, and he knew that now. So, the only logical thing to do, the only thing that would be good for Grace, was to leave Five-0. Whether he wanted to or not, Danny knew he might have to.

After hours, a doctor walked out of the operating room and scanned the corridor until her eyes met Danny's. Danny's heart was racing as he stopped pacing and stared anxiously at the doctor as she walked toward him. He was sweating nervously and biting his lip.

He needed Steve to be okay. He needed to see Steve again. He couldn't lose Steve.

The doctor pulled off her gloves as she stood in front of Danny. Danny watched her expectantly, waiting, hoping, that Steve would be okay. She looked him in the eyes and took a deep breath and Danny's shoulders sagged as he realized that whatever news there was, it wasn't good. Tears stung at his eyes, threatening to spill, as the doctor shook her head. "It's not good." She said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys. I'm so sorry for the long wait but school has been so hectic lately. I know it's been a while, but here is the next chapter. **

**Thanks again for the absolutely amazing support on my story. To my amazing reviewers, you guys are the best!**

* * *

Danny sat in Steve's hospital room, his head held in his hands as he leaned his elbows on his knees. He was restless. He was tired and he ached from the sudden adrenalin crash, but he just couldn't relax, he couldn't stop fidgeting. He was stuck in a private room and the only sounds that punctuated through the stale hospital air were the constant beeps of the machines surrounding Steve and the labored breathing through the oxygen mask that covered his face.

Danny stared at Steve. Steve was unrecognizable and no matter how long or hard Danny stared, he couldn't actually see Steve. There was an odd sense of detachment. He refused to accept that Steve was lying on a bed, fighting for his life, desperately clinging on by a thread close to breaking point. So, as a coping mechanism, Danny didn't see his Steve on that hospital bed. Not _his_ Steve.

The white hospital bed sheets were pulled up to Steve's waist, covering his legs and hiding the undignified catheter that Danny knew was there. Peeking out from the stiff hospital sheets, Steve's stomach was wrapped in thick white bandaging that covered Steve's gunshot wounds and multiple deep grazes. Danny spent a moment wondering how many stitches were being hidden behind that bandaging, wondering how many bruises were concealed.

Steve's left shoulder was strapped to his chest by a blue sling, and gauze covered almost his entire shoulder and chest. Behind the bandaging Danny knew there was a damaged and torn shoulder that would require months of physical therapy, not that Steve would necessarily attend the therapy. Steve was stubborn, and Danny understood that it was a part of his character, something that made Steve who he was, and as much as Steve's stubbornness had saved his life, Danny knew that it had put him in danger just as often.

Somewhere deep down, Danny couldn't help but blame Steve for putting Grace in danger, but he knew that Steve would never do anything to purposely endanger Grace. He had proved it that night when Grace had exited the jungle shaky and stunned but ultimately unharmed, and Steve had left the jungle unconscious, bleeding out, and barely alive. Danny just hoped Rachel would see it that way too, but he doubted it somehow.

Danny shifted in the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair, briefly glancing up at the window and staring at the reds and oranges and purples that filled the sky as the son rose. Below Steve's window, people were living their lives. Cars whizzed past the hospital, joggers jogged on the pavement, and shop owners opened their shops. Danny had been awake for twenty-four hours, and he was bewildered by how much had managed to happen in a mere day. He had started out his day like every other, and now, there he was, sitting beside his unconscious partner, wondering when and if he would wake up.

_It's not good_, the doctor had said. _It's not good. But he's alive._

Those words played over and over in Danny's head, pounding at his skull, consuming his every thought, overwhelming him. Sure, Steve was alive, but barely. The doctor had said she wasn't sure whether Steve would survive, his injuries had been too severe. The infection, the blood loss, the shock, it might have been too much for Steve's body to handle. Steve was strong, Danny knew that. Steve was a Super SEAL, the indestructible Steve McGarrett. But, even a Super SEAL isn't strong enough to survive the unsurvivable. Even a Super SEAL has their limits, and Steve had reached his a long time ago.

"Steve, you jackass, you better pull through." Danny muttered under his breath as he grasped Steve's hand in his own, fiddling absentmindedly with the loose corner of the plaster over the IV drip. A tear slipped down his cheek as he watched the oxygen mask over Steve's face fog with each ragged breath. His bruised and swollen face was a stark contrast to the paleness of his unblemished skin. Danny's gaze drifted to Steve's black and blue chest as he whispered, "I _need_ you to pull through. Okay?"

* * *

Chin stood beside Max in the morgue and stared at the six-foot-four figure that lay lifelessly on the metal table. John Buchanan. Suspected for being an accessory in the murders of over fifty people.

An hour after paramedics had rushed Steve to the ambulance and sped off into the night, Chin and Kono and the police force had found John's limp body. It was lying in a pool of blood, his skin was ghostly white, and his eyes were still open, staring lifelessly at the constellations in the sky above. He was unarmed and showed no evidence of foul play before his death. But, an autopsy had revealed more about John than had met the eye.

Cause of death, as expected, was a gunshot wound to the head. It had shattered his skull and the bone fragments had imbedded in his brain causing swelling and internal bleeding, which ultimately led to brain hemorrhaging. The autopsy had also revealed a past of severe physical abuse. Evidence of innumerable broken ribs ranging from twenty years old to two years old. Evidence of a broken clavicle, a fractured tibia, multiple breaks of the radius. Evidence of a broken nose, a fractured pelvis and multiple shattered tarsals. A quick search in the database revealed that John had never sought professional treatment for his injuries.

Chin wasn't sure what to make of the newfound evidence, and he didn't want to assume the cause of the injuries before he could speak to the surviving brothers. But, he had a pretty good idea of the cause. Their father, killed in a police shootout only twenty-one months prior, had been suspected in the murders of over one hundred cases, had been accused of multiple assaults, but never found guilty. He was an expert, too good at covering his tracks, and he always got off, no matter how close he got to getting caught. Chin was almost positive that John's father had spent decades beating John. John's last injury dated back to twenty-three months ago, stopping only a few months before his father had been killed.

Chin was itching to speak to the surviving brothers, anticipating the looks on their faces when they realized that this time, they truly were caught. They couldn't get out. They couldn't escape. But that would have to wait until they woke up from their life-saving surgeries. If it had been up to Chin, he would have let them suffer. They deserved to after all they made Steve and Grace and Sarah go through. But, they would get what they deserved soon enough.

Chin would make sure they did.

* * *

Kono sat on a chair in the interrogation room. She was tired and she was stressed and she was sore, but the need to nail Mister Jackson and his 'hired help' overwhelmed the almost unbearable desire to lay her head down and close her eyes. Her eyelids were heavy and her eyes stung, her cheeks were hot and she was sweating slightly. She needed to calm down, she couldn't let her emotions affect her professionalism. But she was so close to catching Jackson that she could almost taste it, and she wouldn't let the opportunity slip from her grasps.

Across from Kono sat Sarah. Sarah was wearing fresh clothing, and her wet hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, her brown hair slowly starting to drip dry. She had blue bags under eyes and she still looked slightly flushed and jittery, her knees were bopping up and down constantly and her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt as tears slipped down her cheeks. She had been treated for mild dehydration, but had been given the permission to go home and rest after further examination resulted in no further injuries. The doctor had tried to get her to stay at the hospital for the night, but Sarah had signed herself out.

She had called Hawaii Five-0 and asked to speak to Kono directly. She had told Kono that she wanted to give an official statement straight away, lock her father and the brothers away for good so she could go home and rest knowing that her kidnappers were never going to be free again. Kono had agreed reluctantly, unsure of whether Sarah was stable enough to give a statement, but she respected Sarah's determination and persistance. So, there they were, sitting in the interrogation room, as Kono waited patiently for Sarah to compose herself. "You ready, sweetie?" Kono asked quietly, nodding encouragingly when Sarah's gaze met her own.

Sarah nodded slowly, uncertainly, before she sat up straighter and leaned forward in her seat, resting her elbows on the metal table. "My father hired the Buchanan brothers to kidnap me and to... to kill me. I... I don't know why and I can't u-understand why, but he did. I know it for a fact." Sarah said, her voice small and weak, but it still held the slightest bit of conviction. Kono watched Sarah in slight awe, although she would never admit it out loud.

In front of her sat a young lady who had been kidnapped, almost killed, then rescued and survived to tell the story. In front of her sat a girl who had found out that her father, the person who was supposed to protect her and love her and guide her through life, had hired professionals to kill her. Everything in her life that had once been stable, had been ripped out from under her feet in only a few days. But, she still sat there, strong enough to give a statement, strong enough to stay together, and despite her occasional sobs and constant flow of tears, she was composed. Kono respected her, and she found herself wanting to book Jackson for Sarah's sake as well as Steve and Gracie's. But, Sarah deserved closure, and Kono intended on getting it for her.

"Why are you so sure?" Kono asked, glancing at the recorder on the table to ensure it was recording. The light blinked red and she nodded. It was on, and Sarah's official statement was enough to at least take Jackson to court.

"I've seen that man before, the leader, Robert. I saw him speaking to my father outside my house once. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but now..." Sarah trailed off, huffing in anger and frustration and hurt. She looked away from Kono and furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks before continuing in a steadier voice, "Now I know that... That they were planning to kill me."

"Is that all the proof you have supporting your statement?" Kono asked, leaning forward as she leaned over the table and gently squeezed Sarah's arm to offer some form of comfort. Sarah looked at Kono and shook her head, a sad smile tugging at the corners of her chapped lips as more tears fell from her bloodshot eyes. "What else, honey?" Kono asked, trying to sound as patient and comforting as possible. She wasn't usually an emotional person, but sometimes victims needed to know that she wasn't a threat and that she was there to help, and that they could trust her. And the sweeter her voice was, the more they relaxed and the easier the interrogations went, for them and for her.

"I heard them talking." Sarah said so softly that Kono wondered if the recorder had picked it up. Kono waited for a split second, hoping Sarah would elaborate, but when she didn't, Kono urged her to keep talking. The next thing she said could be the concrete evidence that put her father and his hired help in jail.

"What did they say, Sarah. I need you to try and remember as much as possible, can you do that honey?" Kono urged, smiling as best as she could to try and convince Sarah to keep going. They were so close, and with each new statement, they only got closer.

"They... They said that my father had paid them good money, and if they didn't get the job done... If they didn't get the job done, my father would kill them... I think my father was involved in something I knew nothing about." Sarah said, choking back a sob as she looked at her trembling hands that lay limply in her lap. She couldn't contain the cry of frustration and confusion as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Sarah, what do you mean? What makes you say that?" Kono encouraged her to keep going. It was hard for Sarah, Kono could see that. But they had to keep going. They just had to. It was Jackson's fault that Steve was fighting for his life in ICU, it was Jackson's fault that Gracie would have to attend counseling in order to get over the things she saw, the things no little girl should have to see. It was his fault that Steve was suffering. Kono hated Jackson, loathed him. She couldn't let him go free. She needed revenge.

"One of them said that they had seen what my father had done to others. They said they had seen what my father had done to others that had failed to complete the job my father had paid them to do. And he said he didn't want to end up like those people. He said they needed to do this job right." Sarah said. Slowly but surely, all composure she had once held was starting to dissipate, fade away as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Kono squeezed her arm again, trying to soothe her as trembled wracked her body.

"What jobs had your father asked others to do, Sarah? Do you know?" Kono asked. Sarah stopped fidgeting and looked up so her gaze met Kono's again. She stopped crying and she swallowed thickly. Her body became rigid and her eyes dulled. Kono knew that a small part of Sarah had died, whatever she was about to say was killing her.

"My father has hired other people to kill me. This isn't the first time he's tried to get rid of me." Sarah replied. Her voice was cold, hateful. "He's tried it before."

Kono sat in silence for a moment, staring at Sarah in both bewilderment and uncertainty. "And, I have proof." Sarah continued. She reached for the pen and notepad on the side of the desk and pulled it towards her. She scribbled something down and shoved it towards Kono. "Can I go home now?" She asked as she stood up, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Yes, thank you, Sarah. You might need to come in for more questioning, though." Kono replied, never taking her gaze off the notepad in front of her. Sarah nodded and was escorted out by a police officer, who laid a gentle hand on her trembling shoulders. Once Kono heard the door close behind her, she opened the notepad. She couldn't help the victorious smile that tugged at her lips as she read the contents on the page. They had done it. Jackson and the Buchanan brothers were as good as convicted.

On the page were names. A list of names, and beside them, numbers. The numbers were dates, and Kono recognized more than half of them. They were the dates of death for over ten people, all of whom had been murdered in almost identical fashions. All of them unsolved. And, the last name on the list read John Buchanan. Kono understood immediately. These were the people hired to kill Sarah, all of whom had obviously failed to complete their jobs, and they had paid the ultimate price.

Once Kono did a little research, once she had questioned Sarah further on these names, she would have Jackson behind bars in no time. One name stood out to Kono in particular. Martin Hollow. He had been in the newspaper after his disturbing murder, it had been an obituary of sorts, and the picture chosen to be in the newspaper had been one of him with Sarah. Hugging and holding hands as they laughed and looked at the camera. They had been a couple. How Sarah knew all this information, how she knew who had been hired by her father, Kono wasn't sure. But, that didn't matter. Not at the moment anyway.

Justice would be served. Justice for Sarah and for Grace and for Steve. Now, Kono could touch it, she could taste it. And, justice was sweet.


End file.
